Shinigami's Folly
by Killercloud
Summary: The Shinigami, a Divine Being. A being of Law. A being that realized it made a mistake! Now to fix that mistake, he makes a choice that will shake the very foundations of the world. The question is: is it for the better?
1. Preface

**_Naruto: Shinigami's Folly_**

In this fan fiction, which is Slight-AU. I wanted to have a slight foreword. I have read quite a few Naruto Fan Fictions, and I wanted to make this clear. This is a Mature rated Fan Fiction. With both Dark Themes, Mature Themes, and things some people would prefer not reading about. I will tag the beginning of a chapter that may contain anything that is described in detail that I feel is overtly mature. This story is also a Strong!Naruto Fiction, and really is probably one of the strongest ones I can conceive. Now, with that…I don't mean that he will be an instant powerhouse and stronger than everything around him all the time.

I reserve the right to change facts about the main story at any time. If it doesn't seem to fit, and you think I just made a typo, please PM me or Review. If you want to advise me on something you think I did wrong, please Review or PM me and I will look it over. I admit to not having a Beta, so it seems like my work is half done. I write fan fiction as my muse sparks. I don't get too caught up in editing all this with a fine toothed comb, only because when I do…I get particular. Please don't take this as my saying I don't care, because your words. Positive or Critic, drive my muse. She's very fickle.

I will also mention that I don't believe in pairing characters in Naruto's age group off for life without damn good reason. I mean, how many high school students date one girl/guy and get married? I will list themes for this story here.

This is starting basically with Naruto's Graduation. This is not a Bash fiction. If it looks like one…then there is a reason for it.

Primary Themes: Action, Drama, Romance

Secondary Themes: Relationships (Not just Romantic), Love, Hatred, and Sacrifice.

I removed some previous notations, due to my Muse driving me into new directions.


	2. That's the Law

Shinigami. The lord of the dead. A being of incredible and horrific power that could even sever the life force of those with unending life. Despite all that, when he wasn't on the job, he rested in his realm, took off his guise and relaxed. He was really just like a normal person, a plan looking, human-like being, he even work spectacles, nothing really made him stick out, that had an important job. Although, it was a lonely one, which was why he'd allowed the seal contract to come about. It gave him an opportunity. You see, he wasn't able to control the dead, merely harvest them, and move them along. Only souls promised to him were malleable. So it was thus that he had a buddy to relax with. The whole, spend eternity in the Shinigami's belly bit was just to keep the foolhardy from make the deal. He wanted company not a flood of souls that could unbalance things. You see, the Shinigami was a being of law, so such chaos would not only disgust him, but weaken him.

It was this very lawful nature that brought him to the point he had reached. Ten years after Minato had joined him, did the Shinigami really take a look over the paperwork, and recoiled in horror. You see, the seal contract was very specific. It required one soul to be devoured and another sealed away. There was no half way about it! The Shinigami was incredibly bothered by this. It meant that he had broken his own rules! That couldn't be allowed, but neither could he just go about restoring him to life…unless…yes! That was it!

So the lord of death, smiled dangerously as he prepared everything, it would take him only moments to complete what would take the most powerful mortal's years. For his blindness, he had debt to repay. So it would be repaid. No matter what. Thus it was that he donned the mask of his office, and took his most terrifying and powerful form. It would require it to complete the task that he set out for himself.

'_This is the way of the world. Law remains. Chaos flows. Life lives, and the dead die. I must fulfill my bargain. I am Shinigami. I am death. Look upon me, ye mighty and despair.'_

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

_[Three Years Later…]_

Naruto frowned as he walked towards the last day of class. It was his last chance at graduating the academy, so he had been practicing like no tomorrow to make sure he was ready. He was dressed in his famous orange jumpsuit, and goggles. He noticed a shopkeeper glaring at him, and several people started walking a bit faster as he passed. But nothing would be able to drown his good spirits today! He had considered pulling off one last prank for old time's sake, but he had woken up late from all the practice he had done and didn't want to miss the very last class.

It was a long walk to the academy from his apartment, but today it felt like only a step or two, to the over excited blond. He calmly walked into the academy and frowned, noticing only a sparse few seats remained; he took one next to the Uchiha. Although they weren't the best of friends, they had a grudging respect, and an agreement. Both of them closed their eyes as the screeching of Sasuke's two biggest fans reached their ears, the primary reason for said agreement. This was one of the deals they had made with each other when they had met in class this past year. To assist Sasuke with his fan girl problem, and Naruto with his…problems…they agreed. Naruto would always save a seat on the end for Sasuke if he arrived first, or if he arrived second, he would take the open seat next to the Uchiha heir, and Sasuke would help him to pass the test.

"Sometimes…I wish you would just tell them you were gay." Naruto grimaced as their volume reached a horrifying level.

"Hn." Sasuke almost agreed but his mother would probably hear, and shivered as he worried about his own fate at that point. "Not worth it." He responded coolly.

"True, I suppose your sister wouldn't like to hear…" Naruto shivered as he stopped however, his vision clouded by a pair of shadows cast from behind him

"Na-ru-to! Move now, or we will make you! This is the last class, and I want to sit next to Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screeched loudly from next to the blond, who covered his ears.

"Not for all the Ramen in this room!" he shouted back, knowing there was NO ramen in the room. "Now scram! Before…oh look Sasuke's used chewing gum!"

"WHERE!" the two fan girls screamed before restarting their fight, as Kiba decided to shake his head and take the vacant seat next to Naruto, with Hinata on his left.

"Those two need to seriously chill." Kiba growled, and Naruto and Sasuke nodded once each, and even the timid Hyuga had to agree.

"SAKURA! INO!" the shout of Iruka caught everyone's attention as he and Mizuki walked in. "Sit down!" the pair shot to a pair of vacant seats instantly as Iruka shook his head.

"Alright, now we will start calling names for the final exams…when we call come up take a test and good luck…" Mizuki stated as the dreaded academy final began.

_[Two Hours Later…]_

Naruto was sitting on the swing just outside of the academy, looking towards the doors, as the other children met with their parents, friends, and others who had managed to pass. Naruto didn't know what had gone wrong…he was so close! But at the last second…it was like a weight had been pressed down on him…he could feel the tears of disappointment welling up. He should have been with them…he should…have…

Then he was running from the academy, he just couldn't stay and watch them. He just couldn't watch his dreams fall into ruins, it was over. He had failed. "Naruto." The calm voice of Mizuki said from his side, easily able to keep pace. "Stop, I have something important to tell you."

Naruto did slow to a stop, looking around a bit. He didn't want people to see him with Mizuki-sensei, they might treat him badly. "Yes? Mizuki-sensei?"

"Naruto. I know how you feel right now…failing like this…it's the end of your ninja career…so Iruka and I talked a bit. We decided on awarding you the special opportunity. It's a secret though…so you can't tell anyone about it! Got that?" Mizuki asked, leaving the blond boy blinking at the words of his sensei.

"S-So if I do this…I can become a genin?"

"That's right Naruto." The older man smiled as he ran a hand through his hair a bit. "So what do you say?"

"Tell me about the test, you can count on me!" if only Naruto knew what Mizuki's devious smirk really meant as he explained the test. After dismissing the boy and watching him run off, he calmly slipped into an alley way and handed off a scroll to another shinobi.

"Give this to your contact, for our mutual master. The delivery will happen tonight." Mizuki stated and the man nodded before disappearing into a puff of smoke. While Mizuki happily whistled and walked away, thinking on the truth. That Root ninja, would tell Danzo exactly what he needed him to know, and thusly Naruto's attempt to get the scroll would be no problem. Too bad for the old geezer he had always been serving a much better master. His eyes gleamed dangerously as he walked into the fading light of the day, and wondered on what the night would bring.

Standing above it all, a solitary shadow watched the Village Hidden in the Leaves from above. Its single eye staring down upon the masses, as if it were a god looking down upon the world. "All according to plan. Mizuki thinks he can betray us. He will learn the sting of betrayal is not so soft." The aging leader of Root stated as he looked down upon the Village that would one day be his. He would use the event tonight to demonize Naruto even to his greatest supporters and then craft him into a true weapon for the tree that is Konoha. "Come, we have much to do." The silent unit of Root merely disappeared following their leader.

_[That Night…]_

Naruto gasped as he collapsed down with the scroll in hand, and a smile on his face. Now…what did Mizuki sensei say to do with it? He thought about it and smiled. '_Of course! He wants me to learn a jutsu from it!'_ So without even a moment of consideration he flung the scroll open and smiled, as he quickly looked over it. He read several of the jutsu held within and frowned. _'Seals huh? This scroll holds a lot of them…they are pretty simple looking…'_ he thought as he copied them down, and wrote their purpose with the ease of anyone who had an in-depth understanding of seals. _'Huh, I wonder why they don't teach us to make these in the academy? They are so simple!'_ he considered that for a moment, and wondered about the fact that they were so simple, then how could he consider it passing to just use them!

So he rolled up his scrolls and slipped them away for later, and decided to look at those later. He needed a cool jutsu. _'Kage Bushin huh? Well I did fail at the bushin…so…hey look at all these different kinds of Kage Bushin! I have to learn it!'_

It took him hours to get it together to learn the Kage Bushin alone and decided he would just copy the instructions for the other Kage Bushin variants to learn later. He smiled as he looked at the notes he'd taken. He would never bitch to Sasuke about teaching him to take notes again! This was awesome, Mizuki-sensei would be so…

"Naruto! What are you doing!" Iruka screamed out as he appeared in the wrecked clearing, looking around with surprise as he did. _'How could Naruto…'_

"Ha! So you were the first to find me, eh Iruka-sensei? I was only able to learn one of the jutsu, but I am sure it's enough to pass!" he shouted loudly, as Iruka blinked in confusion.

"I should have known you would find him first, Iruka!" Mizuki said from above them with a smirk. "No matter. Tonight…the Kyuubi brat dies!" He screamed before rearing back, and pulling out an oversized shuriken and using his killing intent to freeze Naruto in place. Iruka was shocked as he moved to try and defend Naruto from the attack.

"K-Kyuubi?" Naruto stuttered as he looked around but he could feel his knees quiver. He watched as Mizuki threw the shuriken and laugh.

"Why so shocked! I am talking to you! You little bastard!" Naruto felt his chest tighten as more and more of Mizuki's killing intent poured over him. He clenched his eyes shut, clinging to the forbidden scroll. He could only shiver as he felt everything slow to stop, Iruka was just too far away. The Shuriken too fast…Naruto could feel it. He was going to…

'_Move!'_

Naruto's eyes widened and rolled out of the way, and looked to Mizuki and Iruka. He didn't know how he'd suddenly moved, but something had clicked in his head as he looked to Mizuki. "You tricked me! Well…I don't think I can let that slide…Mizuki." As he glared at his former sensei and pulled out a kunai, shifting it in his hand to a reverse grip…It felt so natural. Mizuki's eyes narrowed before he smirked.

"Prepare yourself!" he moved to throw the second shuriken, as he looked down at the blond below his eyes widened as a single kunai slammed into his chest charged with lightning. Although his armor stopped the blade, the electric power slammed into the chuunin's body and flash frying him.

"I won't let you! You just want to hurt people! When I am Hokage…I will make sure that people like you…are punished!" then he charged forwards as Mizuki recovered and growled, pulling out a kunai to meet the blond. All the while Iruka stared on, in fascination. When had Naruto learned elemental manipulation?

"You can't beat me you little punk!" Mizuki shouted before Naruto smirked.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" and a dozen Naruto's followed his lead, as Mizuki shook his head in exasperation and easily overpowered the blond, smashing into the clones, and then kicking the original hard enough to smash him into a tree.

"Is that it?" as he reared his arm back, and threw the kunai. "don't you see! Even your precious Iruka-sensei can only watch as the monster dies!" Naruto let out a breath in pain, unable to move anymore. Then he closed his eyes, he just couldn't…

"Urk…N-Naruto…are you…alright?" Iruka grunted in pain, that kunai had dug in pretty deep. Naruto just stared at his sensei as the scarred chuunin smiled before leaning forward. "I-I want…you to run…please…take the scroll…to the…H-Hokage." Iruka gasped out as Mizuki chuckled, having recovered one of his massive shuriken and happily spun it, giving it enough speed to cut through them both.

"Don't worry, I'll send both of you off!" then he threw it as hard as he could at the pair, closing his eyes, listening for that…

'_thunk!'_

Mizuki smiled as he opened his eyes to look at the pair, and paled. There was no blood, no bodies, nothing but the kyuubi-brat standing behind the shuriken slammed into the earth before him, an unreadable expression on his face. "Why won't you just-urk" he blinked as he realized that the small blond had closed the distance in a breath, slamming a fist into his exposed throat before whispering the name of his next move.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu." It took only a moment for the chuunin to recover and look around before he gasped. He was surrounded by dozens and dozens of the young blond. He couldn't even hope to count them. "I may not be stronger than you alone…but if you ever…hurt Iruka-sensei again…" then he closed his eyes before turning away as his clones charged. "I'll destroy you." It took only moments for the clones to subdue the rogue and for him to move over to his wounded sensei.

[_Hokage's Office_]

The legendary Professor, God of Shinobi, the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled a bit as he watched the event, and the young blond's words warmed his heart. Not for the first time in his long life did he think that perhaps the young blond had the makings of a great shinobi, one that could one day reach his lofty dream. The aging Hokage calmly stopped watching the crystal before him, and turned towards the dark windows behind him, the lights of his village at night consumed his sight as he thought about the night's events. He would have to delay the team registration back two weeks now that Naruto had been added into the mix, along with all the chaos Mizuki caused. Not only that, he needed to have a word with Naruto. Something he needed to confirm himself. Not to mention he wanted to throw those bigots in the council through a loop for a bit, arguing.

"Hokage-sama. Not to be rude…but did you know where Naruto was the entire time?" the quiet voice of one of his top jonin broke the aging Hokage from his thoughts. Sarutobi looked back at the Elite Jonin with little more than a smile.

"Perhaps Kakashi-kun, perhaps." The elder smiled as he lit his pipe and turned a bit more so he was half facing the copy ninja. "Maybe you'd like a chance to see for yourself the bright flame that young Naruto has begun to cultivate…" at the strange look the Hokage was giving him, Kakashi could only smile and nod.

"Perhaps, Hokage-sama. Perhaps I will have the chance."

[_Naruto's Apartment: Later that night…_]

Naruto sighed as he collapsed into his bed, the morning was slowly approaching and he wanted to get as much rest as he could, after all, tomorrow he would be starting his journey as a ninja…but for now he was just exhausted. So he slowly began to drift off until he fell into a deep slumber.

'_Naruto…' _the quiet whisper filled the room, as a shadowy figure appeared next to his bed. '_…you finally heard me…'_ the quiet whisper slowly faded as the figure followed, the tides of fate had been shifted. The world was blurring together, and far away the Shinigami smirked, as he considered what would happen next, and deep within the soul of the young Uzimaki a massive eye opened for but a moment.

'_**Not yet…I still desire rest…'**_and all fell to silence.


	3. A Shinobi's Path

Naruto jumped awake and looked around, as the soft sounds of footsteps broke the silence of his sleep. Normally he'd be dead asleep, but something told him to wake up. Something…then he saw it. The shadows shifting slightly as someone stepped through his house, creeping like a cat. They thought they were so much better than him. The dead last of his year. Too bad. Most people didn't look past that, it wasn't that important. He scowled a bit as he crouched down and smirked. The assailant was wearing a mask and a stealth outfit, and seemed to be here for something more devious than a hello, especially with that kunai out, and dripping with something that the blond assumed was poison.

It took Naruto only a moment to reach down and press a single sigil on the floor, and push a spark of chakra into it. With that, the disguised would be assassin jumped away, but it was too late. A massive seal array covered the walls, and floor. Every direction. The man found himself completely suspended off the ground, unable to even move. Slowly his target walked up with his foxy smirk on his face.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. To come in here like that. You're lucky…" then his blue eyes sparkled, as he withdrew a kunai from one of his shelves, and spun it in hand. "That I only used such basic seals."

"So you say."

"You should have listened to the rumors." Naruto responded crossing his arms, making sure to keep the sharp blade visible. "The Hokage did give me permission to deal with…problems." The floating warrior stiffened as Naruto stepped forwards and tilted his head a bit, as if considering the even that was playing out before him. If it was worth finishing the person off, or something else. Maybe mercy? Naruto's eyes closed, and the would-be assassin felt a sense of exhaustion ebb from the blond. "So let's deal with you then…"

"I am but one of many. You will die one day, Kyuubi." Naruto sighed a bit before shaking his head, as if these words had been repeated to him a thousand times.

"Not today, and not by you." The blonde stated as he brought his hand down, the blade shinning in the night, as he spun and slashed at the masked warrior as they released a horrible "BEEEEP!"

"BEEEP! BEEEP!"

'_Learn the secret_…'

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Sarutobi frowned as he listened to the advice of his two old teammates. They were a pair of his most trusted advisors on all but a select few subjects, and worked as his personal liaisons to the civilian council. Not to say he didn't have people watching closely to give him itineraries about the actions of the civilians and his old friends. They were ninja, such precautions were almost standard. Especially as they had a singular point of discontent with him. One Naruto Uzimaki. Well, there were other similar cases of discontent, but in this one, thing he has remained as still as a boulder in a small stream.

"You can't be serious. He failed. It's over. Let the council handle him. You did what you-"

"Failed? I am quite sorry, but I have read Iruka-kun's report, and in that young Naruto was able to disable a chuunin-class shinobi, using a Kage Bushin no less. I would say quite the opposite." Sarutobi countered, his female teammate Koharu sternly.

"I do not see this progressing well. And now we fall back on the word of someone who is obvious biased. I am sorry, Sarutobi but it is all hearsay." Homura added respectfully as he could.

"Then…how about a neutral opinion? Someone who can bring conjecture to this." The other said, in a tone that brought Sarutobi's headache to an insurmountable searing pain.

"I suppose, I will allow someone else to add their advice…did you have someone in mind?" there was a soft knock to accompany that question, as the pair nodded silently. The door opened slowly as the dignified form of one of the Shinobi Clan Heads stepped into his office. Hiashi Hyuuga no less. Sarutobi didn't like this, it was too…dangerous. Sarutobi couldn't easily ignore his words. Hiashi had a lot of political pull, and even more so among the civilians. Sarutobi was worried as well. Hiashi had never spoken for, or against Naruto. While the former was a small selection of the council, the latter was almost then entirety of the others. Only two remained neutral. Hyuuga, and Abrame.

"I was summoned. Hokage-sama." The serious man bowed calmly to the Hokage, and ignored the advisors as he stepped up to the table, head held high, but looking forward. "What do you have need of me for, Hokage-sama?"

"We merely need the opinion on whether this case should be approved or disapproved." The Hokage frowned at the term 'case' but nonetheless handed the files over to the clan head. It took little time for the man to read it over and set the file down. A frown gracing his features before merely turning and walking away, not saying a word. Koharu and Homura each bristled as he moved to leave.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Koharu called out to the man's retreating form. There was a moment's pause before Hiashi turned around, his face still that calm neutrality he casually held, but for a trained ninja it was impossible to ignore his extreme annoyance.

"I do not. My opinion is unneeded in this case. If you want it, then I shall merely say this: Were I Hokage there would be no debate. An academy student was able to learn a jonin ranked, forbidden technique in a couple of hours, and then proceed to use it perfectly, in combat, to defeat a more experienced, and powerful opponent, while unscathed…The name and history of the shinobi would be pointless. Loyalty, Purpose, and Skill. Those are the important things to look for. In this, I believe, from those reports that the person in question has a quantity of all three. As I said, if I was Hokage. There would be no debate. Hokage-sama." Then he bowed again before disappearing through the door. The pair of councilors were still in shock, before they moved to try to say something, the door burst open and Naruto walked in.

"You wanted to see me, old man?" Naruto asked with a bright smile. Then he noticed the company and frowned. The man who had eyes like one of his classmates had told him that he could enter. 'What was her name…oh right! Hinata!' Sarutobi looked at his teammates before they slumped in defeat and nodded before quietly leaving. "What was wrong with them?" he asked as he pulled over a chair and sat before the Hokage. Sarutobi calmly made the signal for his guards to leave, and to keep a watch on the entrances.

"Nothing, just a lost argument. So, I have yet to speak with you about last night's events…Naruto-kun." The boy shifted in his seat before the Hokage, and the aged man merely sighed a bit. "I will not blame you for the actions of another, such as your ex-sensei. However, I now see how sabotaged your education was. Even as a combat type shinobi, your skills in the other areas of the shinobi arts…are frankly near non-existent. I was forced to push back the graduation ceremony two weeks due to Mizuki's troubles. I have prepared a quantity of books for you to review. Normally I would just tell you to go pick them up at the library, but I think this way would be best."

Sarutobi had of course attempted to have one of his Anbu borrow books from the public library and found that Naruto was barred from such as a civilian. Until he became an official shinobi, those people could treat him as such, but should he pass. A dangerous gleam entered the aging Hokage's eyes. Oh yes, there would be a reckoning should he find that one of his shinobi were barred such. It was illegal in Konoha without an official petition of the Hokage, to bar a shinobi from any business, and he doubted any of them could produce the evidence he'd require. "Ah. Why do I need any of that, old man? I took care of Mizuki just fine!"

"Simple, Naruto-kun. With your current skill, I would say one day you might make a good chuunin like Iruka, or a special jonin, an elite ninja that specializes in only one aspect of shinobi skills. Your dream however, is to be Hokage, and to be Hokage you must be the best in all aspects of the shinobi arts. So, I decided I should give you a small push. I gave you all of these books, handpicked by myself, to assist you. They are the best to teach you what you will need as a shinobi." Naruto frowned a bit, as he looked at the pile of twenty-ish books the Hokage was referring to. Each one had a tag on it, numbering them in the order in which the aging Kage had suggested them to be read.

"Alright old man, you keep that seat nice and warm for me, because once I am done with these, I'll be coming for my hat!" he said loudly and with the bright but determined eyes that always gave the elder pause. They always reminded him of his predecessor. Sarutobi smiled a bit and then shooed Naruto off.

"Now, go. Take this list to the Shinobi Supply store and buy yourself these things. If you have any trouble, give Hakifura-san this. I'll have the books brought to your home tonight." As he handed over a list of shinobi supplies as well as particular clothes that, well didn't hurt the aging man's eyes quite so much. The second was a handwritten note, it mentioned a couple of things, but Hakifura was a good man, and he suspected that it wouldn't be needed. Naruto ran off and smiled at the old man. 'One step closer to Hokage!'

Sarutobi checked his logs as one of the Anbu returned to take the books and the other returned to guarding the room. The next meeting was…he closed his eyes a bit as he bit back a saddened sigh. Even as he did, he thoughtlessly caught one of the shuriken that Konohamaru attacked him with and set it down. Not even able to acknowledge his grandson's antics.

[_Konoha Shinobi Supply- For all your needs]_

Hakifura, or Haki as his associates called him had been in charge of the Supply Store for over twenty-five years. He'd been involved with the Anbu before he opened the store, and had been injured in the line of duty so he'd been honorably discharged and got a stipend to assist him. Using that he set up a general supply store to help out shinobi so that they didn't end up like him. Getting injured do to gear failure and an enemy's weapon. He was old now, grey hair had grown where dark hair had been. His wife had passed on in the attack thirteen years ago. His daughter had been taken or murdered by enemies a few years before that, she was declared MIA. So he was alone, but he was a cheerful fellow. He hobbled over to a nearby mirror just to appraise his looks, and make sure that his hood covered the baldness. His grey hair spilling over his shoulders. His missing leg still seemed to hurt from that poison from so long ago. The genin exam was coming up so he expected a boom of basics being purchased as well as some of the trendy Konochi clothes. It always hurt a bit, he could have grandchildren their age by now.

The door opened and a head of blond hair stepped in, as Haki looked back, and in the glare he could swear that the Yondaime had stepped into his store again. He rubbed his eyes a few times, as the door shut out most of the light moments later he recognized the blond haired boy known as Naruto Uzimaki, or worse things in some company. He easily noticed the boy's uncomfortably. He considered for a moment, making him leave. Not for problems he had with the boy, but the problems that others would cause him for helping him out.

He considered this for a few moments, as he stared down at the kid, who seemed to be growing less and less comfortable by the moment. It was in a moment, where Naruto turned away at just the right angle that Haki's eyes widened. It wasn't just a trick of the light. Suddenly so many things made parallel in his mind. He was the best weapon smith in the village, and the premier supply shop. He wouldn't let anyone tarnish that image. So he let his expression soften as he walked up to Naruto and laughed a bit. "Sorry about that, I was making sure you weren't here to pull a fast one on me, or escaping from one of your ever so legendary pranks. I am Hakifura, you can call me Haki. I see you're able to shop here now that you have your headband now, so how can I help Konoha's legendary prince of pranks?" he smiled a bit as the boy seemed to loosen up a bit, and smile a big toothy smile, but Haki could see how forced it was. He didn't expect the boy to trust him completely.

"Thanks, Haki-san. I was given a list for you to help me get ready for duties." The aging Haki took the note and his eyes widened. He could recognize this writing from anywhere. This was the Hokage's personal handwriting! He was certainly happy to have made the choice he did. Sarutobi would have been quite sour at their monthly game of Shogi if he had kicked the boy out. Or worse. He'd not bring the sake!

"Well I can help you out with all-"

"Hey, Haki-san. Why do you use that stick?" Haki blinked at he looked to his cane, and smirked a bit as he pointed out his missing lower leg. This just seemed to make the boy frown a bit but he nodded calmly. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"Almost all of this is general shinobi gear. There is a special order or two on here, so what I need from you before we start is for you to run some chakra through this little bit of paper for me." He said as he handed over a chakra element test slip. He didn't think it would react, as most kids his age didn't develop their element yet. "You know how to-" he was cut off as a bolt of electricity bounded off the paper and straight into a metal peg inches away. Haki's eyes were a mile wide as he stared at Naruto and slowly took a breath. He'd never seen such a strong affinity in his life! Especially in one so young. "W-Well. Your list mentions a couple of basic technique scrolls from the restricted section for you to work with. Normally I need to get the Hokage's permission, but as this is from the Hokage…"

"How did you know?" Naruto shouted in surprise and Haki laughed, closing his eyes a bit as he did.

"It's a ninja trick you'll pick up one day."

"You were a ninja?" Naruto parroted and Haki nodded with a small smirk as he hobbled behind the counter and pulling out the two C-rank scrolls. They weren't anything too special. One was the static barrier jutsu, C-Rank. It was useful for fighting weapons users, as it polarized the air around the user and could cause the objects to move erratically. The other was the lightning flash. It was the C-rank cousin of the lightning bolt jutsu, which was an A-rank ninjutsu. The highest he could sell was C-rank, and even then they were heavily regulated. Normally only chuunin could get these.

"Yeah. A long time ago."

"So…why don't you just henge your leg back and walk on it?" Haki laughed a bit and then shook his head.

"The henge is an illusion, you would just fall, but thanks for the idea kid." He stated smiling as he patted Naruto's head, much to the blond's annoyance. "So let's work on all of this then!" he smiled as he continued to go through the list.

[_Naruto's Apartment_]

Naruto smiled as he tossed the scroll with his new things in it up and down. Haki had told him how awesome item sealing scrolls were, especially for travel and even through one in with his order, although now his poor Gama-chan was coughing out moths… he was at least ready to learn how to be a Hokage! He smiled wondering when the books would arrive for him to open. He glanced around at the empty building and made sure no one was watching for a moment. Satisfied he shifted a small piece of the window sill and pulled out a single key, and unlocked the door with it. Normally he'd carry his key, but today in his rush to see the Hokage (he'd slept in.) he forgot his normal key, not that many people came by his building. It was completely unoccupied and the owner didn't mind someone living there as long as they took care of it. Even so, Naruto was so surprised by the fact that the books had already arrived that he literally tripped over them, and fell flat on his face.

"Arg. That stung!" he grumbled as he set his things down and sighed a bit, before looking the pile over, and looking around before he began organize them on the shelves and leaving the one marked first out for himself to read. He closed the door and got comfortable. Oh he couldn't wait until the others saw him now! Especially after he read some of these books. He decided now was as good a time as any and looked the title over. "Shinobi Basics: A Guide to being a Competent Shinobi." Naruto frowned a bit and pouted, that didn't sound like a Hokage making book, and was about to toss it aside, and move onto the next one before something in the back of his head made him take at least a second glance. That's when he noticed the author's name. 'Hashirama Senju! With annotations by Hiruzen Sarutobi!' he thought with widened eyes. This was a book written by the First Hokage, and notes were added by the old man himself! This book was way more than he thought it was, and somehow he doubted this was a normal library book.

He quickly began to read the book and was smiling the whole way. He did skip the parts he already knew, such as the basic shinobi tools, and certain obvious things, but most of the book was gold to the hungry beast that was Naruto's mind. It was a rather short book, although it took most of the day for the boy to finish, and of course he had to eat some dinner. It was the final chapter that really caught his attention. It was a basic talk about seals. At first Naruto's confidence was that they were a simple matter, and a typical shinobi skill, however as he read on he quickly learned that it was quite the opposite. In fact most shinobi could spend their entire careers without ever doing more than the most basic seal work, from its extreme complications, and rigorous applications. Naruto's world was a bit shaken when he finished that chapter. All of those seals he'd gathered from the scroll. They were there not because they were forbidden, but because of the dangers of sealing, and the rarity of sealing jutsu in general. He'd had no problem with them at all! They seemed so simple!

He continued to read, and the Third's notation at the end did mention a singular form of shinobi that specialized in sealing without the usual difficulties that most had. It wasn't a bloodline, or something special other than a natural understanding. These shinobi were those who were destined to become true masters of an ancient and powerful art. In the end of the notation, it mentioned another title that those interested in more detail about sealing should seek out. Naruto wasted no time jumping to his feet and checking his borrowed book collection. Sure enough, book seventeen was the very book. Naruto looked from between the books and pulled out the second one. Somehow he knew that he was about to learn something great. Although he would keep what he though was right, and good. After all, a Hokage was more than just a powerful ninja who listened to others. Sometimes you needed experience on your own path.

'_Don't stop. These will help you.'_ Naruto shook his head a bit as he smiled and continued to read on. Tonight was going to be a long, long night.

[_Hokage's Office- _Night]

Sarutobi had lived through wars, seen the death of many he held dear, and things he couldn't even put into simple words. What he knew we would encounter next would take every bit of his temperance and skill to remain calm. "Send her in." he murmured as the door swung open, and a young dark haired girl walked into the room. She held every bit of poise and grace you would expect from someone of her station. That wasn't what had Sarutobi's chest in knots, but instead her identity. It was almost too bizarre for him, and in reality, the lies were too.

"Hello, Uncle Sarutobi! I-I mean Hokage-sama!" the young girl chirped happily, she was a few years older than this year's graduating class, and yet held a rank far above genin, as her Jonin vest indicated, although it still had the patch that marked her as a specialist.

"How are you doing, I wanted to check up one you dear." Sarutobi said carefully, and she smiled back.

"Is this how all your shinobi are treated, or just me, Uncle Sarutobi?" she asked teasingly and smiling brightly. In Sarutobi's mind's eye he saw the same smile, and slowly closed his eyes.

"How is your brother doing?" he asked with a hard breath, at this the girl's face fell a bit.

"He's a bit off. He really wanted to see his…hmm…friend I suppose would fit, yeah. He really wanted his friend to pass the test." She stated, and the greying Kage nodded slowly. "He's…still quite obsessed with that…event. Why won't either of you tell me what it is? I am his older sister. I do deserve to know!" she pouted more than yelled but it had an effect on Sarutobi. "I know, I know. He has to tell me…" Sarutobi looked away, closing his eyes a bit, before she perked up a bit. "…So, what did you call me here for?" she asked with a bright smile, and the he smirked a bit.

"Your application has been approved. The next exam, and you're up. I'd get prepared if I were you. It's a lot of work. You can ask Anko-san, or Ibiki-san for help, when you need it." The girl's face lit up as she shot to her feet and hugged the old man tightly.

"Thanks Uncle Sarutobi. You and the council won't regret it! I should go and talk with them. See you later!" then she had already run out, as he'd expected. It had been much similar a long time ago; at least to his mind…it was a long time ago.

The Third Hokage rarely felt as old as he did in that one moment, as an ache filled his chest, and he closed his eyes in pain. "Oh, kami. I feel as if I failed her most of all." He whispered to the night sky, his pipe rested in his hand unused, as he thought of the things that he had failed to do in his second reign as Hokage, and even before that as well.


	4. Walking the Line

Sasuke frowned a bit as he walked through the quiet streets of Konoha, it was a rare time, late enough that even the late night wanderers had gone for the night, and he could think in silence. He didn't want to be bothered. It was a dark day for him indeed. Five years. It had been five years to the day today. In three days he would be a ninja. In three days his path would begin, his true path. The path of a shinobi. He would show the world what he was made of. The last Uchiha scion. The last Uchiha genius. He hated them. It was pointless praise.

He'd rather they praise him once he'd gotten _his_ head, once it was over and he could return to a life as a normal shinobi. He wasn't going to be weak. He would show that man his hatred and ambitions were far beyond even his capacities. Sasuke had to take a deep breath to calm down enough so that he didn't cut into his hands with his finger nails. He was put into an even less than pleasant mood when he'd found out that he had failed his…

He paused to consider what exactly the blond boy was to him. In the end he'd settle on that word, for now at least. His friend. It was meaningless now. He'd been given the blonde's help and he couldn't even bring him to a passing level as he said he could. To Sasuke it was like his brother was mocking him from a far.

'_How will you kill me if you can't even help make a weakling pass a pathetic test?'_

"Shut up!" he growled under his breath, clenching his eyes shut.

'_I should have known you were too weak, Sasuke. Your hatred is pathetic.'_

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" he groaned out grabbing the sides of his head in attempt to push the words out.

'_Next time. I will leave you with nothing. Perhaps then your hatred-'_

"Sasuke?" the dark haired teen was shocked from his reverie, as he looked to see a darkly dressed guy around his age, he was obviously a shinobi from his headband, and had blond hair like Naruto did. He was sitting below him, at river side. He waved to Sasuke and smiled. It took Sasuke a moment to realize just who it was.

"N-Naruto? I thought you failed?"

"I did. I passed in a different way I suppose. I am not really supposed to talk about it." Naruto shrugged a bit, before smiling and looking back to the Uchiha and waving him over. "So, how's the last week and a half treated you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke wanted to laugh; this was the most bizarre moment he could imagine, even as he sat beside the blond. They weren't true friends, and he knew, and Naruto knew it. But in this one moment Sasuke didn't care. "It's been alright. I have been dealing with getting ready, and…" he clenched his jaw, before looking down at the river, the crescent moon reflected in the water.

"It's today. Isn't it?" Naruto murmured and then closed his eyes. "The day 'it' happened."

Sasuke frowned as he looked to the blond beside him. He'd never really asked something like that before, nor had he even been the type to pick up on people's emotions. Sasuke couldn't put a finger on it, but this wasn't the same blond he'd left behind nearly two weeks ago. He seemed, different, in a strange way. He supposed that it was merely because he didn't know him that well.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well then, how about I tell you about my adventure that happened just a couple of days ago! It might make you feel better." Sasuke doubted it, but shrugged his indifference. "Ok! So, I was turning in my Shinobi identification information…"

[_Flashback_]

Naruto sighed as he walked through the streets, it was a bit noisy. He was dressed in all black, with his forehead protector gleaming in the bright afternoon light. He'd just had a run in the now infamous 'honorable grandson' despite his lengthy reading, he still didn't believe in handing out his respect. So the boy had to have a rude awakening. He didn't give it much thought, and now that he had his shinobi rights all filled out, the stores and merchants couldn't deny him service anymore! Unless he messed up, but he didn't plan on anymore pranks so it should be…

He paused in mid-thought as he noticed a fence that had boards that were horizontal looking. Hor-iz-on-tal! He groaned a bit as he stopped and looked back. "Konohamaru is that you?" he asked a bit annoyed. He was certain when the fence began to quiver a bit. It was the worst attempt at stealth he'd seen in a long time, and coming from someone who used to wear bright orange on a regular basis, that was a grave insult. He waited for another moment before saying "Are you going to come out or what?" then a cloud of smoke shot off of the fence and the distinct appearance of the young would-be shinobi came out of it.

"I knew it! I knew you were good! Now you will train me to defeat my grandpa, and I will become Hokage!" Konohamaru shouted loudly, causing Naruto to sweat a bit. Was this how he was just two weeks back?

"No." he replied to Konohamaru's demand and returned to walking back to his apartment.

"W-What do you mean no? I am the Hokage's grandson! You should be honored!" it was in a flash of movement that Naruto's fist met the top of his skull, for the second time that day.

"Tsk. Honored? How about you learn to ask nicely, and I might give you a couple of my awesome pointers!" he smiled a bit, showing off his teeth to the nearly crying child.

"R-Really? T-Then c-could you please teach me?" Konohamaru sniffed and Naruto's smile grew even wider.

"Sure, I wouldn't normally do this, but today I will teach you a powerful, one-hit kill jutsu that is capable of even taking out the most skilled of opponents! Even better is that I made it myself-"

[_End Flashback_]

Sasuke's eye had begun to twitch a bit. "Naruto. Tell you didn't…"

Naruto chuckled and then held up a finger towards the dark, cloudy sky. "I suppose you will just have to listen, now won't you. Now as I was saying, I took him on a journey for researching one of my most powerful, and dangerous jutsu…"

[_Flashback_]

Naruto smiled a bit, and held up his hands as they reached a clearing in one of the training grounds. "Here is where we will put the finishing touches on your technique; it's not going to be easy. You have to remember everything you say in exacting detail." He noted, eyes' burning with determination as Konohamaru's followed and he nodded.

"Right!"

"Now, you remember the hand signs, and remember…keep the image in mind…and then transform!" he shouted and Konohamaru nodded happily, before beginning the hands signs at a slow, but precise speed.

"Heng-" but was cut off as he shifted a bit, tripping over his scarf again. He groaned a bit, but when he looked up again, he noticed a kunai in the ground right where he'd been standing and freaked out a bit. A cloaked figure stepped out from the trees, and held another kunai in hand. Naruto growled a bit, and took up a stance to defend the fallen boy; it was obvious that this man was after the Hokage's grandson. Naruto quickly pressed a finger to his belt, and pulled a full sized ninja-to from the seal he'd marked there. It was nothing more than a simple storage seal, but it was worthwhile for his larger weapons.

"Hand over the boy, and I won't kill you. Blondie." The cloaked figure stated before moving forward, obviously on guard.

"No way! Konohamaru isn't going anywhere with you! He's a comrade, and I won't let anyone touch him." Naruto growled as he took a rather weak stance, and glared at the approaching figure. It was a hopelessly one sided fight in Konohamaru's eyes. This man…he walked like he was prepared to kill, and…and he was scared! "Don't worry, Konohamaru. I won't let this guy near you! Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" then in a massive plume of smoke, that Naruto and Konohamaru were hidden, and Naruto's clones used another jutsu. "Transform!" and suddenly, once the smoke cleared there were dozens of Konohamaru clones!

"Stupid brat." The cloaked figure said as he easily wadded into the battle slaughtering clone after clone. "This won't beat down someone of my skill!" He did pause at one of the clone's laughter, and grumbled "What's so funny?"

"We aren't here to beat you…" it was in that moment of silence that the quiet hissing of an explosive note was heard. Not just one though. All the clones around him were hissing.

"S-Shit." The man said before the area was filled with flames. A short way off, Naruto was happily carrying Konohamaru to another clearing. Naruto had the strangest feeling about the guy he'd just blown up, and figured it wasn't completely over. Watching from the trees, Ebisu smiled a bit as he patted out his arm, which was obviously burned, but overall he was fine. He'd misjudged the Ky-…young Uzumaki. So he'd watch for a bit before taking the boy home. He was impressed at the blonde's battle cunning. It was rare to find someone who could fight in such a way. He began to think on what he'd just seen, when he was called back to the new clearing by a shout of "Transform!"

It was then, that he saw the technique that the boy was attempting to teach the honorable grandson, and suddenly even bone in his body burned with rage. He was a corruption! He knew it. Even as he stared star struck for a few more moments by the sheer beauty of the woman, he would not be… "Transform!" then there was a dark haired girl to go with, and Ebisu felt his knees quiver. He couldn't handle more of this. Even as he watched he could feel his blood pumping. Once they'd changed back, and begun to congratulate one another, he sprung from his hiding spot.

"Enough! Honorable grandson! You must not continue to learn these low brow techniques! Remember, only I, an elite teacher, can give you the shortcuts to becoming Hokage!" he raged at the Kyuubi-brat, but was also scolding Konohamaru for going along with him.

"I don't have to listen to you! Naruto is a way better teacher than you!" Konohamaru screamed, and Ebisu felt his chest tighten painfully but shook it off. It was then that Ebisu moved to reclaim his ward, but he backed away and attempted to defend himself. "Transform!" then the beautiful busty dark haired girl was so close! Ebisu shivered but remained strong. Naruto however, was smiling. He could see the sweat. "W-What, Naruto…i-it didn't work!"

"O-Of course not! Such a low brow technique would never work on me!"

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted before surrounding Ebisu with clones and smiling to Konohamaru "watch this!"

"Tch. You may have beaten that weakling Mizuki with such a move, but I am an elite teacher such a move would never work on-"

"Transform!" they all shouted before Ebisu could even finish, he was tackled by a hoard of nearly nude, beautiful blonde girls. That was all the poor man could take before he passed out, his blood spilled from his nose like a geyser. "Harem jutsu!" Naruto exclaimed happily before giving Konohamaru a thumbs up.

[_Flashback End_]

"And, while a couple of other things happened, they were a bit more personal, so I'll leave it at that…hey where are you going Sasuke?" Naruto asked at Sasuke's retreating back, but all he received in response was a calm reply that Naruto wasn't sure if he really heard or not.

"See you at graduation, dobe." Naruto smiled a bit before standing up and looking to the cloud covered moon for a moment and turning to head back home.

"See you at graduation, teme." He responded to the wind, and somehow he felt that it was all going to be alright.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

[_Graduation Day_]

Sarutobi's eyes were closed as he spent the first few moments of most mornings, just thinking. He enjoyed the moments of relaxation he got before his eternal foe, and most deadly enemy arrived. Paperwork. Not that he let that trouble him so much. He hated it, but he'd set up a system of only doing that which was urgent immediately, and working down the larger, and less important paper work. No one noticed if a piece of paperwork took an extra day to arrive if its contents were about evaluating the things that will be there for some time. Obvious, those were security based. But he doubted that housing and building coordination committee's continued attempts to have color coded districts would be missed at all, least of all by him. For one thing, it was a security risk, and the other…he didn't want to live in a plum color home. He just didn't.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when, instead of his usual massive load of paperwork carried by his poor assistant (he was the third this month, the half-life of a Hokage's assistant was low indeed!) He was surprised to see the man who stood before him today, and pulled out his pipe, before noticing that his guards were also between shifts. Not that it mattered, the man before him was every bit as hard to discern as any Anbu. He was given a codename 'Watcher' and that was it. A plain white mask, a high collared duster, and nothing else to identify him. "I didn't expect to be seeing you so soon. I suppose that something important has happened?"

"The Shrine awoke. It's calling out for the first time since I was assigned there. Possibly the first time since it was created." The man stated with a calm, robotic, and obviously modified voice. "It only lasted a moment, but something has caused a reaction, and it coincides with a great many prophecies. I cannot yet parse it down for you; I will keep an eye out for more signs."

The kindly old man had disappeared, and the legendary Third Hokage was in attendance as he nodded grimly. The shrine was one of Konoha's greatest secrets, and one he hadn't shared with even his most trusted friends, and students. Only his successor learned of it. Although he doubted they were the only ones who knew of it. It was an old place, one that served as the meeting place for the Senju and the Uchiha's leadership. Where Konoha was born. However, even in those days, the heart of the Shrine was said to still be sealed.

"The seals are still intact?"

"Correct. I would have arrived much sooner otherwise. This will require my full attention still. I will hope that you keep an eye out, Hokage-sama. Something extraordinary would have to happen, I assume, for the shrine's heart to respond." The man stated before inclining a bit to bow to the Hokage. "I should take my leave before the guards arrive."

"Of course, you have done more than enough. See you at the end of the year, Watcher."

"Hokage-sama." And then the mysterious Watcher was gone soundlessly. His words however, seemed to echo in Sarutobi's mind. There were dozens of writings, prophetical, and not that would explain it all so easily but in the end, Sarutobi could create no definite answers, save observation, preparation, and patience. He wondered at what was beyond the stone for a moment, before banishing the thoughts. Today was a busy, busy day. There it was, his daily mountain, and with it, his new shift of guards slipped in, nearly invisible to the naked eye.

"Thank you. I get the feeling that we will be seeing a bit less of this soon." He smiled and his aid seemed relieved as he left. He took a large stack and flipped through it, easily pulling out orders for imprisonment, execution, exile, and a dozen other punishments for one Uzumaki Naruto, and promptly put them into a recycling bin filled with similar papers. These would cease if Naruto passed tomorrow, as then only the Hokage could even suggest such topics, and even then, the council didn't really have the power to judge criminals, only to suggest punishments for existing ones. So with that, he continued on in his usual way, excited for what the next few days would bring.

Yes, Today was going to be a great day!

[_Naruto's Apartment_]

Yes, Today was going to be a horrible day! Naruto decided when his alarm failed to awaken him. He was nearly late already!

Naruto grunted as he nearly slammed face first into his table, tripping over himself to get ready. Today was the day after all! He pulled up his pants, and grabbed his new jacket, and then his gear. He looked himself over in the mirror once more. He was wearing a dark high collared jacket, with extra pockets on the exterior and interior. He checked his pouch and smiled a bit and then made sure he knew where all the seals were on his belt before putting it on as well. He grabbed the last of his things and smiled to himself, before remembering the time and sprinting out, only stopping to grab his keys and lock up before he shot through the streets, a blur of blond and black.

Above on the rooftops Anbu Team Fox smirked a bit, as they made contact with Hokage, informing him of their ward's movement's. Normally 'Team Fox' was a single Anbu who volunteered, but for the past two weeks has been a two-man team. The Fox masked Anbu looked back to the Dog masked one and smirked. "So, have you enjoyed your time looking over the package? Sempai?" the Fox masked Anbu asked, even as he knew he'd be changing teams in a couple of days. Whether Naruto truly graduated or not, this was the last day of his Anbu entourage.

"I think it will be a very interesting day tomorrow." The silver haired, dog masked Anbu stated before he calmly stood, watching from afar as the boy reached his destination without even needing to move closer. He watched as the Anbu next to him stood as well and then made the signal to disperse, and Kakashi did just that, after giggling to himself about the little prank he'd played on the blond. He had to get ready for this afternoon after all, and he had to visit a couple of places.

Down below them, at Naruto's door, the lock slowly turned, and the door clicked open, as an invisible form slipped in and picked up the blonde's old backpack, as it shook the back, a whisper filled the room '_Goood…perfect. This will do nicely.'_

[_Ninja Academy_]

Naruto came to a halt and checked the clock on the outer academy once he noticed that no one seemed to be here. He was an hour early! How could that have…who could have…what could have…then it hit him, he must of set his clock back so he'd get here on time for sure. Patting himself on the back mentally he headed into the Academy for the last time, easily brushing off the glares of those teachers who didn't like him. It was when he was but a foot or two from his class that an older voice caught him.

"Naruto. Could you come here please?" the aging voice of the Academy's Principal called down the hall causing Naruto to seize up before turning and heading towards the man. He wasn't a particularly strong shinobi, but he was as smart as any of them. He wasn't the worst of Naruto's 'fans' as a matter-a-fact, besides the occasional scolding, he couldn't think of a single problem with the elderly man. Nor was he much of a friend. Just an old man.

"Young Uzumaki. Ah. I wanted to speak with you. One. Last. time. I heard of the event with Mizuki, and personally investigated the goings on within these walls. I couldn't help but feel a bit responsible for not being attentive to the pleas of one of my precious students." For the first time Naruto saw the old bearded man's eyes beneath his bushy hair, and he stopped for a moment as if frozen by the elder's gaze. "So I will give you, something I wanted to pass on one day. I have no children of my own you see. I have been looking for a ninja with the proper qualities. I think you will do fine. This scroll-" he handed Naruto a most ornate looking scroll, with a few obvious seals on it. "-has several important secrets in it. I want you to get stronger, and when you are ready, the scroll will give you its secrets. Train well." The man patted Naruto on the head, and let him go onto class before returning to his office, looking into a bookcase he picked up a single picture.

"How ignorant I have been. I hope you can forgive an old man." He whispered.

Naruto however, easily slipped into his usual spot and waited, it was going to be a while, so he decided to pull out his sealing supplies. After all, after what he'd read last night, it would be interesting to try out those seals. He frowned a bit, however and put his supplies away, and instead pulled out normal supplies and began to figure something out, the signs, symbols, and science of sealing things seemed like it was a second nature to him, maybe it was because there was something sealed within him. He shrugged on continued his work, until the first students started to show up. The first few including Hinata, and Shino. He figured they would be early do to their disciplined outlook.

Naruto smiled to himself, and then realized he was being observant, those books were really teaching him what to look out for. Now all he needed was some time to plan, and he'd be making his way to Hokage in no time flat! Most of the class ignored him as usual, Sasuke arrived a bit latter and took his typical spot to Naruto's left, now shielded from his fan girl menace. There was nothing to say between the two, even as the class began to fill up, they remained quiet. Naruto was still lost in thought as he noticed a shadow over his shoulder.

"Na-Ru-To! What is a failure like you doing here? Move out of that spot, and I won't turn you in." Sakura's voice was louder than any banshee's wail, even as Ino stepped passed the rosette noting that she wouldn't be sitting next to Sasuke as long as Naruto was there. Only sticking around to watch to see if Sakura would keep trying. "Now Naruto!"

"Make me." He said in a grim tone as his blue eyes looked up into Sakura's green ones. There was a moment's hesitation before the pink haired girl swung back to clock Naruto straight in the face, her scream of rage attracted the attention of several students around her. Naruto for his part didn't seem worried by the girl's scream, and shifted out of the way from her fist, he didn't even make it look hard, however he easily noticed that she'd overextended, not thinking she would miss the blond boy, and was now on a crash course with Sasuke. Naruto's lips curled into a smile, before he took her wrist in hand, and shifting his weight threw the kunoichi off balance. The next thing Sakura knew was that she had tumbled over the side of desk and landed on top of something soft, and warm. When she opened her eyes, she recoiled in horror. The person who had caught her fall had…her thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt laughter from one Kiba Inuzaka.

"Wow, I didn't know you and Yamanaka were so interested in each other." He barked and was followed by most of the class; only two people seemed to not be entertained. One was Sasuke, who had his eyes closed, and was shifted away from her and Ino completely, and the other was Naruto, whose blue eyes were looking past her, and down to the girl under her. She wanted to yell at him, to scream, to cry, so many things all at once…

"Sak…ura." The winded voice of Ino groaned from under her, which caused Sakura to leap to her feet, and looked down at her rival, who slowly stood and glared at her, before turning and walking away. "…grow up." She whispered too low for anyone but herself to her, or at least she thought so, as a certain dark haired avenger smiled a bit at her words.

"And what's so funny to you Inuzaka?" she hissed, and he laughed louder as he took the seat to Naruto's right, before making a kissy face.

"I don't know, you should ask your _girlfriend_!" he started to laugh again, only to stop as he noticed Naruto's hand on his shoulder, and tilted his head a bit. "Fine, Fine…jeesh. Joy kill." Kiba was able to read the blonde's body language well enough, in that one moment, Kiba backed down and smiled. It wasn't worth it anyway.

Sakura's eyes widened as she touched her lips in confusion and then realized it, and glared at Naruto, before clenching her jaw and taking a seat where she was standing and leaning forward, much like the young Nara was, except instead of resting, those who paid attention could notice the subtle shaking of her shoulders. She was crying. Naruto's eyes fell to the table before him, and sighed. He felt horrible, his moment of triumph turned into some kind of joke. A sick, sick joke.

"Nice clothes, Naruto." Kiba said patting the blond on the shoulder, and the class dispersed slowly back to their seats, now certain that the show was over. "You look like a ninja now! Not a practice dummy." He chuckled a bit before settling in and smiling a bit, his eyes looking over the pink haired girl, directly in front of him and frowning. Damn it. Now he felt bad.

It was only a few more minutes until the teams were announced, Iruka looking proud as he read off the names of Team 7, and slowly the room emptied. Then it was merely the three teammates waiting on their sensei. The brooding avenger, the emotional fan girl, and the unpredictable blond. The wait was ridiculous. Naruto had gone off to write some things, Sasuke was thinking about a few things, and Sakura hadn't come out of her arms in a few hours. There was only the sound of a door sliding open, exactly two-and-a half hours after the man had been announced as their sensei.

"Hmm? Interesting. My first impression of the three of you is…" The three genin were now paying attention to the silver haired cycloptic shinobi, his single eye staring hard into the group before his eye curled into an inverted 'U', "I hate you." The three all sweat dropped as the man turn around before saying "Meet on the roof." Then he was gone in a cloud of smoke.

[_Naruto's Apartment_-Night]

Naruto sighed as he stepped into his apartment; it had been a long day. His sensei was strange; he was on a team with Sakura, who he had managed to embarrass in a really bad way. He just felt so drained, and hoped that things would improve. Tomorrow he would have survival training. It was going to be different, that was for sure. He set down his gear, and pulled out the scroll he'd been working on. It was a simple seal that he was trying to tinker with. It seemed too simple to learn them, and use them, but inventing them was still really hard. It didn't help that he didn't have a way to figure out the more advanced lessons unless he found a master willing to train him.

He smiled a bit as he poured his ramen noodles into a bowl and then added the water. One the base of the bowl was a small seal he'd already developed based off of the explosive tag seal, storage seal, and a water collection seal. His ramen was ready to eat in twenty seconds flat. He'd defeated his greatest foe before he became an official genin! He was smiling as he slurped down the noodles with glee. Although it wasn't quite as good as if he'd waited but he would work on that. He frowned as he looked at the scroll, and considered it again. He really wanted to finish it! It was supposed to be an enhancement type seal, but he had only the most basic knowledge of them.

"Oh well, I have an early day tomorrow. I will have to save it for later." He grumbled before slipping into his bed cloths and collapsing onto his bed. It was a loud sound, that shook the frame a bit, and he blinked. He didn't mean to land that hard after all. It was a moment later that he was hit by several scrolls, and a couple of small books. He groaned a bit and decided to look at the offending items for a moment, before turning on a light, and looking over them. His eyes shot wide as he recognized the notes he took from the forbidden scroll and smirked brightly. "This one is perfect! Oh Kakashi-sensei's training tomorrow is going to be a blast!" he shouted with glee before running to the table to work on his sealing with renewed fervor.

[_Shinigami's Realm_]

With a pleased sigh, the eternal Shinigami returned to his realm, his grim visage returning more to the look of a mild Japanese business man. He was happy to be home. After all, the past couple weeks were a bit busy, he smelled the distinct smell of ramen wafting from his kitchen, which he only kept to enjoy the flavor of foods he found interesting, and to keep his guests entertained. He walked into the lavish kitchen to find his only company (at the moment) working hard on her ramen. Her fire red hair was stood out quite considerably to the pale white of his home. He enjoyed the feeling of an old Hi no Kuni style castle (Kyoto Style), with modern appliances. "Hello, Shina-chan. Sorry I was so long. Hope you weren't too terribly bored." The neutral tone of the Shinigami still managed to make the kunoichi jump. He was too quiet, he supposed.

"Ah, Shinigami-san. I didn't know you'd be back so soon. I would have made more Ramen. How…how is everything down there?" she asked warily, as the man walked forwards with a bit of a smile. He wasn't supposed to tell the dead of the living, but she was different of course. He'd sort of cheated when he picked her up. As when she and her husband had married they promised each other their very beings, even past the grave. So, he used poetic license, so that he wouldn't split them up for all eternity, no one could argue…well except Kami, but she was a rather distant being, and he got more company out of it. "They...They, are okay…aren't they?"

He chuckled a bit and nodded, before pulling out a bowl, and serving himself a hearty serving of the delicious ramen. He had developed a love for Kushina's particular ramen, and would never openly admit his jealousy of Minato because of it. "Fine, I had to nudge Naruto along again. Now that he has all that he does, I think I will need to remain apart however." Kushina looked like she was going to respond when she froze, a voice as soft as flowers floating on the winds, interrupting her thoughts.

"Wise words, Shinigami-kun. My husband has been quite infuriated by your blatant favoritism." The Shinigami smiled, and shrugged a bit as he looked over to the beautiful woman standing before him. She dressed in the finest kimono, with wondrously long hair that seemed to be colored from the very flames of the sun, her eyes were bright and sparkled with warmth, and love.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Amaterasu-san?" Shinigami asked coolly, he had no qualms with her but her husband was his enemy in The Great Game, or at least he had been for the last few centuries.

"Just wanted to warn you of his displeasure, as an old friend should."

"Ah, thank you for your kindness. I will remember to handle myself differently. I have, however, interfered no more than he. So we should be willing to call it even." The two divine beings stared into one another's eyes, and Kushina, being a mere mortal soul could feel the weight of their gazes. It was like she was being crushed by the pair. Then it was over as the female sun goddess bowed, and then smirked a bit before she turned away.

"Please, do continue to play well, Shinigami-kun. I relish the moments of your triumphs almost as much you do." Then she was gone, and the Shinigami sighed as he looked down as if he was looking to a shogi board.

"All in due time. I will see my 'King' conquer your husbands." Kushina was not pleased by the way the man looked or spoke, but remained silent. The gods' ways were strange, and she didn't question them.

Yet.


	5. The Past, and the Present

Kakashi smiled a bit as he stretched, he patted his bedside where his partner for the night rested, and sighed contently as he pulled the slim orange book back into his hands. He was still in his sleeping clothes, and was preparing for his morning. He made sure to check the clock. Ah, it was already time for him to arrive to meet his genin. Excellent. That meant by his usual pace he'd be there in a bit over three hours!

He paused as he looked at a small photo on his table, and frowned, before he switched his mask out for a clean one. He couldn't help the remorse that he felt welling up in his chest. The burning feeling that he couldn't ignore. He looked at the picture closely. He had a hand ruffling his hair, next to him a girl looked at him, a blush on her cheeks, and then on her opposite side was an annoyed looking boy, but he had a genuine smile, unlike Kakashi, who even then looked annoyed. The man who was ruffling his hair was their sensei, a man that he respected even now. Thirteen years…

'_My dream is to surpass all the Hokages!'_

Kakashi smiled a bit as he thought on the blond boy's words. How he reminded him of his sensei. Kakashi shivered a bit and sighed, before wondering for the hundredth time at the possible relations between the two, but the Third had made it clear that it was not so.

So, of course Kakashi was almost certain it was. There were too many coincidences. But he couldn't press the issue, or be certain. He would however, not hold back either way. His sensei wouldn't allow it, he would treat Naruto and his team as he would any other. Just like sensei had for him.

'_Dreams? I have no dreams. Shinobi are the tools of their leaders. Nothing more.'_

Kakashi shivered as he remembered his response that day, it seemed so long ago now.

He dressed slowly, and prepared himself a good breakfast. Something that was important every morning. He snickered a bit as he thought of his students. Sasuke would be an interesting fight, from his records, if there was still early graduation, he would have been graduated years ago. Sakura, wasn't going to be much of a problem. She is a bookworm, brilliant, but sadly unable to handle much of the physical requirements.

Then, there was Naruto, whom he knew from his past few days, was far different than his reports stated. Not that he wouldn't consider them, but instead, take them with a grain of salt. This kid had the eye of the man who trained the Sannin, and was the container for the Kyuubi. If nothing else, those two facts made Kakashi curious.

Slowly he stood and gathered the last of his things. Just another hour and a half until he would arrive to the training ground, to begin the most difficult challenge of those genin's young lives.

[_Memorial Stone_]

Kakashi sighed a bit as he looked to the stone in front of him, it was possibly the most depressing thing to him, and yet…all he could think about was all those he'd lost because of his childish attitude. Name after name caught his attention, but he settled on the two that mattered most to him. Minato Namikaze, and Obito Uchiha. He could feel the sadness welling up in his chest. He wanted to see them again. He wanted to be young, and let them know how much they mean to him. He didn't even know of Rin's fate, she was declared dead, or missing. He assumed she was in Anbu, or on some mission far away from him.

He realized the time was drawing near, and slowly turned and began to walk away, off to the training grounds.

Far above him, a single pure white raven stared down at the Jonin, before silently taking flight, its grim red eyes seeming to glimmer in the morning light as it flew off to the north.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

{Battle Theme: Do you want to fight me; Venus Hum}

This wasn't anything like what Kakashi had expected. From what he had seen, he expected Naruto to jump in instantly as soon as he said go. Instead he was merely standing there, waiting for something, eyes closed. It was bothering him, even as he looked through his favorite part of his most recent copy of the third Icha Icha series, fourth book, which was aptly titled Icha Icha: Heroics.

He shifted his stance a bit, as he could feel the minor wave of killing intent wash over him, and ducked expecting the strike without even moving his head, as he looked up at Sasuke. The dark haired teen could feel how open his strike had left him, and gasped loudly as Kakashi rammed his shoulder into Sasuke's solar plexus.

Kakashi was almost giggling like a school girl, when he leg swept the dark haired avenger, and caught his wrist before he could attack with a kunai. To Kakashi it was beyond boring, but it was required that he at least give them a chance, and that he not kill them. He also knew that the pink haired girl was watching carefully, but she didn't have the heart to fight. "Nice work, Sasuke-kun, but I think you need a time out."

Then in an instant a pair of arms grabbed onto the Uchiha and dragged him down so only his head was above the dirt. It was then that he looked back to the last of the would-be genin to see his still waiting. Kakashi frowned, this was one of the worst strategies he'd ever seen. So, just to rile him up, Kakashi threw a kunai at one third of his maximum speed at the blond. Just before it struck the blond Kakashi began to sweat, Naruto hadn't even twitched, and that blade could kill-

"Wait. Where did the kunai go?" he asked before he noticed that Naruto has swiped it, and let it fall to the ground next to him. Kakashi was confused, but he supposed it wasn't impossible for him to miss details like that while reading.

"Here I come…Kakashi-sensei." Then he shifted a bit, and Kakashi felt the air become filled with static, with a couple of blinks, he looked up only to see Naruto having closed the distance far faster than Kakashi would expect of any genin, and was only able to deflect the blow, before Naruto threw the next, and Kakashi was pushed back, as he put his book away.

'_Naruto's speed…its almost on par with mine! If he had experience, training, and better form, I'd be hard pressed to even fight him…how could he have-'_

Kakashi was knocked from his thoughts as he began to trade counters, blows, and strikes with the boy. Kakashi was beyond proud of his skills, even if he was fighting wild, he was making a Jonin fight him, and pay full attention while doing it. Kakashi wasn't slacking off, nor was he fighting to his best. Then he heard it, the tell-tale sizzle of electricity and broke off.

'_No. He couldn't be using it. Its way beyond a genin's level, and seals were taken out of the curriculum! Much less a seal that would have been on…'_ then it hit him, as his eye widened _'the forbidden scroll!'_

Kakashi frowned a bit, as he watched the genin move, it was obvious this was his first time using this power, and it now made sense why his attacks were so far off. He wasn't even close to being used to this kind of speed, however his ability to even use such an ability so soon spoke of his affinity. Even if someone like Kakashi were to use that very seal, it would take a month to charge, and he'd only have a minute or two.

Naruto had, at best two weeks, but that was unlikely as he hadn't trained with the seal. So he was guessing that he must have put it on in the last couple of days. Even then, with his massive reserves, Kakashi didn't think he could have lasted this long unless-

'_Crap! Naruto must be directly charging the seals now! That could-_'

Kakashi stopped as Naruto suddenly collapsed in obvious muscles spasms, and he could only sigh internally. The damage was done, the extent of Naruto's muscle damage, and coil damage would likely end his shinobi career right here. In Kakashi's lone visible eye, he was saddened by the sight of the blond spasming on the ground, his muscles tearing themselves apart.

Kakashi turned to rush off to get a medic, even as he looked forwards to see Sasuke and Sakura standing before him ready to head him off, not understanding the gravity of the situation. He didn't have the time to play with them at the moment and rushed to pass them, only to be knocked back as Sasuke, and Sakura were joined by thirty of Naruto's clones, who had been waiting for Kakashi's charge. He cursed his carelessness for a moment before he heard from behind him.

The sound of laughter, and ringing bells. Kakashi reached down and his eyes widened as he looked back to see Naruto standing, albeit twitching as he held up the bells. _'How did he manage…'_ then his eyes widened, he felt his hair on his body rise, and judging from the other evens, that would mean that Naruto had set him up! Clever too…what a dangerous little shinobi he was!

"Very good, Naruto. It seems you will be the only one I am taking on as a shinobi." Kakashi said with an eye smile, and for a moment Naruto's excitement increased to an incredible degree before, suddenly deflating.

"No."

"No?" Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura all spoke in unison, much to the Jonin's chagrin.

"Without Sasuke, I wouldn't have been able to get this far, and it was Sakura who gave me the idea for the trap." Naruto said calmly, as he smiled brightly.

Sakura blinked a bit and opened her mouth "When did I-"

"In the academy, three months ago."

{End Battle Theme}

[_Flashback_]

"Iruka-sensei! How are we supposed to use the Bushin or the Henge effectively in battle? They don't do anything at all!" Naruto complained, and Iruka's face took on an expression that looked a mere moment from exploding. The answer however came from his right where one of Sasuke's fan girls had been sitting.

"Naruto-baka! Don't you get it? Deception is the most powerful weapon in the shinobi world! If you can make an enemy take their attention off of the truth, or what you plan to use to succeed then your chance of victory increases tenfold!" while her voice had reached a high pitch, Naruto blinked a bit before smiling, almost like he'd already known that and was testing those around him.

"Ah. Thanks. Sakura-chan."

"Now, as I was saying…" Iruka continued with a small smile on his face, although none of his students could see it.

[_Flashback End_]

"So, I will go back. They are the real reason I was able to get these bells. Here." He finished as he tossed the bells to his teammates, and prepared to leave, wincing a bit as he continued to try and hide the pain in his arms and legs. He'd hoped that only charging the seals last night would have worked, but it seemed that his thoughts were right, and even with the new formula, his body needed time to adjust to having so much electricity run through it.

"Congratulations. All three of you pass." Naruto stopped eyes wide as he looked back to the smiling expression of Kakashi, who merely finished with a simple "Meet me at the Hokage tower tomorrow at nine am sharp for our first team mission…Naruto could you please wait, the rest of you are dismissed." Sakura and Sasuke seemed content with this information, and headed off with a smile, and a smirk respectively. Although Sasuke did stop to look back at Naruto, his eyes looking over the dead last with a almost annoyed expression for a moment before leaving.

Kakashi walked over and shook his head a bit. "Naruto. Where did you learn to use seals from?" Naruto seemed shocked for a moment, but didn't seem willing to respond. "I have seen the effects that seals can create Naruto, and you seem to have a grasp on them that is rather impressive for your age, I am just curious how you learned them."

"I dunno, I just never had a hard time reading and understanding them, Kakashi-sensei. So much that I thought that they were basic, and a lesser Ninja Art, until I read some of the books that the Old Man let me borrow." Kakashi frowned a bit as he remembered seeing Naruto read those books. Those were not from the Konoha Ninja Library. Those came from the Hokage's private collection, each was worth its weight in gold, and most Jonin couldn't get their hands on them. Kakashi had read some of them, but the third's personal works were off limits.

"I see. So you have a natural inclination towards seals. And a powerful lightning affinity." Kakashi was speaking in a calm voice, but on the inside he was broiling with questions, ones that only one man could, and would answer if he had anything to say about it.

"Yep. I have been modifying and working on a bunch of seals, although they don't conflict, it's obvious that…" then he lost Kakashi as he began to speak in ways that only he'd ever heard from two others in his life. Lord Jiraya, and his sensei. He was able to use seals, but he was no master. "…and they will all come together nicely…are you okay sensei?"

Kakashi smiled a bit and nodded, wondering at his own expression. He definitely had to speak with the Hokage, and possibly even the Sannin Jiraya, this was an interesting turn of events indeed. '_Will of Fire? Hmm…seems sensei may have passed on a bit more than that into his legacy.'_

"Very well. You can go Naruto. I will see you tomorrow." He smiled as he watched the boy run off, and then frowned deeply, as he turned towards the Hokage tower, thoughts of talking with the village's leader burning in his mind. Naruto however, was considering on how to use his seals to better his abilities, but first he had to learn those other bushin variants he'd taken from the scroll, step up his taijutsu training, and set up a schedule. Just like the books told him. Although, he figured he'd need a least on light day to recover from the damage he'd done to his muscles.

[_Realm of the Shinigami_]

Kushina was panting as she tried to catch her breath, in life she was called "Konoha's Red Death" among a few other titles. She even had a katana tinged red, which she was now wielding, but he body was aching, even after she died she supposed exhaustion was possible. She was training, and her partner hadn't even moved from where he stood. The Shinigami seemed to be mildly entertained, as he held up the short knife he'd been fight her with, amused by her state. He was completely unharmed, and had yet to even break a sweat.

"I must admit, for a mortal your skill is quite fearsome. I would suspect that many skilled warriors would fall from your sword, however, you cannot hold anything back against me if you hope to stand a chance."

Kushina let out a slow breath, as a mass of chains began to appear around her, and even the Shinigami himself seemed at ill ease seeing this. _'Sweet Mother! I forgot who she is. The Uzumaki clan, those who harnessed the power of their progenitor. An interesting fight indeed, perhaps I can take her to the next level.'_

Even here, the Shinigami knew that some could watch, and observe his actions, but in his mind a plan set in place millennia ago was beginning to take shape. He only could push forwards now, as those who came before would say. He also hopped that the guide he'd given to his newest, and hopefully strongest piece on the board was sufficient, only time would tell if one legend was enough to influence another.

[_Hokage's Office_]

Sarutobi was calmly resting in his chair, he had seen the fight between team seven and their new sensei, and was completely blown away at the progress Naruto had made. Sarutobi was beginning to see how badly the Academy really must have treated him, for him to have come so far, so fast was astounding.

"Come in, Kakashi."

The Jonin stepped in without even have a chance to knock on the door, his single eye burning brightly as he looked to the elder before him. Even the Hokage was uncomfortable under the glare of the legendary Copy –Nin, especially when he knew that he was in the right at the moment at his anger.

"Hokage-sama. Some things have been brought to my attention. I am certain you know what. So I won't play a game around this. I will simply ask. Why?" for his part, Kakashi's voice was rather calm, but both elite shinobi knew that the man was holding onto his anger by a thread.

"I am sorry, Kakashi-kun. I, at the time, was afraid for Naruto. I didn't know who to trust. Even you, had your prejudices, although by the time I had figured where you stood with the boy, I had already betrayed your trust. I hoped that spending time around him, on guard would have made you aware sooner, but due to the meddling of those who hated him, Naruto-kun's entire life was sabotaged-"

"I would have taken care of him! What of Jiraiya? He is the boy's godfather! I-I can't believe he would-"

"I told him the same I told you. That the child of Uzumaki Kushina, and Namikaze Minato had died that night. That the boy had been named Naruto in honor of the Yondaime's fallen child, and give the name Uzumaki to respect the Yondaime's love." Sarutobi said, his voice full of regret at his past choices. Jiraiya had been invaluable to the village, and was in charge of the spy network, he was unable to take a child on with him. Kakashi was heartbroken, and a commanding member of the Anbu, he couldn't risk losing them at such a critical time, so he took a risk, and it hurt him every day.

"You lied to me, and Jiraiya-sama. You betrayed us. You betrayed the Yondaime and Kushina. Worst of all, you betrayed Naruto. A boy who loves you, and wants nothing more than to be like you, Hokage-sama! I-I can't believe it." Kakashi's voice went from rage to sorrow so fast, and hard that even the Sandaime could feel his heart wrenched from his chest.

"Then you can change my mistake, Kakashi-kun. Teach him, speak to him, be a sensei for him, like yours was for you. I will tell him of my mistakes when he becomes a Chuunin, so please do not tell him just yet."

"Hokage-sama, you know the council thinks I should focus my abilities on Sasuke-" he stopped however, when he noted the anger in the eyes of the aging Hokage.

"What! Those bastards, once again going over my head to do as they please. Kakashi, you are to teach your team however you see fit to teach them. If the council tries to force you otherwise tell them to speak with me." The rage of the Hokage was making even Kakashi's seem small and insignificant by comparison. In this one moment, Kakashi realized that no matter how justified he'd felt a moment ago, had the Hokage wished it. Kakashi would be dead.

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama." The third let out a slow breath to calm himself, the burning pain in his chest returning as he let out a slow breath again, and calmly spoke to Kakashi.

"Now. I do believe that you have team training to plan." Kakashi seemed a bit relieved as he turned to leave, looking to the picture of his sensei, and smiling gently _'Sensei, I will help your son to surpass his own dreams. I will do what you did for me, and try to do even more. Please. Guide me Sensei!'_

Once he was alone the Third dismissed his guards, and looked the afternoon light of his village, his back to the door, as he looked out, and he could feel the tears falling from his eyes. Kakashi had hit him right where it hurt most. _'I won't fail you again. Naruto. Kakashi. Minato. I am sorry. I won't let it happen again.'_

The third's mind fell back to the day that Naruto decided he wished to become Hokage.

[_Flashback_]

The Sandaime had been six years into his second reign as Hokage, when a young blonde made his way in to see him. It was rather normal, as the Hokage had allowed Naruto to visit, and spend some time releaving the aging Hokage of some of his worries. Today however, his nemesis, paperwork, was especially heavy. Apparently, it showed on his face, well enough for the child to notice.

"What's wrong, Jiji?"

"Ah, Nothing to worry about Naruto-kun, just a bit more paperwork than usual today." Sparing a moment to look at the young boy.

Naruto frowned, and then looked to the Hokage with eyes a bit wider than usual, and said "You don't like papers work do you, Jiji?" at that the Hokage chuckled and shook his head. The boy's eyes hardened a bit before he suddenly declared "Then, one day I will become Hokage so you don't have to do all that bad papers work!"

Sarutobi paused and smiled at Naruto, before saying "I can't wait, Naruto-kun."

[_Flashback End_]

Sarutobi slowly recovered himself, as he wiped away his tears, and calmly looked out to the beautiful village, blurry still from his tears that continued to fall. Somehow, the Sandaime hoped that he would be able to make it up further to the young blond, then his eyes widened a bit. He wiped his eyes and began to write scroll, quickly scribbling as he did it. He was writing down something that he'd never considered putting on paper before this day.

He only hoped that the day Naruto received it, he would be able to understand it. If so he would be truly be on his way to accomplishing his dream.

'_I will be Hokage one day!'_

'_No one will be able to stop me from becoming Hokage, just you watch!'_

'_I won't give up. I will stand tall for all of Konoha. I will be Hokage!'_

Then Sarutobi smiled a bit as he thought of his own first day as a ninja under his sensei.

'_My Dream? Hmm…I think I want to be just like you sensei! I want to become a Hokage, and protect the leaf, with my body, and my heart!'_

Sarutobi smiled a bit, and remembered many things fondly, but few more than the times he spent with the boy with hair the color of sunshine and heart of pure gold.

[_Author's Note_]

Hey, I hope you enjoyed another chapter of Shinigami's Folly, thus ends the first Arc, and the next arc is where the changes are going to become slowly more and more apparent. There is a time skip of a few weeks. I also wanted to know if you like that way I am posting up battle themes now in the chapter itself. I think it works nicely. So, I hope you enjoyed. Please Read, and Review.

And I'll see you guys, next time!


	6. Wave Arc I

Sasuke calmly rested, a pack of ice on his thigh, as he watched the others in his team continue with their daily training, before they performed missions with their sensei. He would arrive sometime soon; they'd do a mission, and then train a bit more with his supervision. It was the dobe's idea to practice instead of merely waiting, and Sasuke at first thought it would be pointless. Naruto proved him wrong of course, using his natural aptitude to overcome even Sasuke's taijutsu ability. Though he's come far since then, he couldn't help but notice that since their graduation the tables had shifted. The skill level of their team had gone from himself, Naruto, and then Sakura to Naruto, himself, and then Sakura again.

Though he could easily tell that the Sakura now would have stood a chance against him, from when they graduated, thanks to Naruto's speed, they had significantly improved their ability to fight faster opponents, and he made sure to be open with them, so that he was teaching Sasuke and Sakura as much as they taught him. Kakashi had been impressed, and though in an overall fight, he said that Sasuke was the stronger in combat, outside of combat Naruto outclassed their entire team. He'd been including himself, and Naruto was quick to explain the numerous things that seals could do, and while he was far off from being a master, or a combat seal user, he was one of the best in the village. Kakashi made sure to chime in that he was the third best dedicated seal user, out of the four dedicated seal users in the village.

Sasuke had been angry, impressed, and happy all at once. He tested his arms, where Naruto had place chakra storage seals, chakra draining seals, and on his wrists storage seals for his weapons. The first seal allowed him to push excess chakra away for when he needed it, the second constantly drained his chakra, and thus allowed him to grow his reserves as if he was doing chakra control exercises. The last was obvious. Naruto had also mentioned some others he was experimenting with, but he wasn't ready to share them, as they were untested and thusly dangerous.

Sasuke had seen Naruto's own seal network on his arms, and legs. He was far more advanced in his seal use then he'd let Sakura, or himself get to. Some of it is common sense, and other parts were merely the hopes of a legacy. Sasuke could understand the need of family secrets. He had many as well. However, Naruto's chakra storage seals, chakra draining seals, and storage seals were obviously different than his or Sakura's. He didn't really understand it, but he got the feeling that, if he hadn't stepped up his training, he'd been left in the dust over the past three months they'd been a team.

"Sasuke-kun! A-are you…f-feeling up to taking my s-spot?" a panting, exhausted Sakura asked, knowing that if she didn't rest that she'd collapse from sheer exhaustion. Sasuke nodded as he stood and handed over the ice pack, and she gratefully took it, pushing a bit of her chakra into the seal, so that the ice within didn't melt. Naruto was smiling brightly, and though he was obviously working himself hard, he wasn't tired yet, and had yet to release any of his draining seals, or storage seals. Sasuke slipped into his typical taijustu stance, and watched as Naruto took a slightly more offensive looking stance, that he'd seen Kakashi teaching him. Though Sasuke had heard that Naruto wasn't suited to direct offensive combat, quite as well as the more dexterous forms of combat, Kakashi had no other forms he could teach him.

"Ready, teme?" Naruto asked with a playful smirk.

"Always, dobe." Sasuke replied as they charged each other.

Sakura watched in near awe, at the pair's skill level, how far behind she was compared to them, and just how different it all was from when she had graduated. She never thought she could respect Naruto, or even think of him as anything but a loser. Man, he'd beaten that idea straight from her head. Now it was like watching an action show, two warriors squaring off, and the ground was taking the most damage as they continued to counter, dodge, and block. Naruto's speed giving him the advantage in number of blows, but Sasuke's technique was still far beyond the blonde's.

"They are truly an amazing pair of students, with a good head behind them; I don't doubt they could do amazing things. Don't you agree, Sakura?" the lazy, but proud tone of their sensei rang in and Sakura nodded agreeing with her sensei. Kakashi for his part was watching the movements of his two star pupils with interest. Naruto's speed was much slower than in his fight against himself, but it was more controlled as well, as he had acclimated to it well, and no longer damaged himself. He'd rank the boys speed as mid-chuunin. Overall, Kakashi say his team as becoming chuunin (in practice, at least) already, and had decided to test them out. "Call them in. It's time for a mission."

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Naruto was awaiting his orders within the mission office, and of course his eyes were wandering around as he continued to think, his mind a whirl of ideas. Some he'd never considered until he finished the second to last of the books the Hokage had given him. It was a complex theory book on several subjects, handwritten by a village leader of a place Naruto hadn't ever heard of called the village hidden in the whirlpools. The author's name was obviously important as it had been obviously changed to call him, the leader of the village, or some kind of thing to that effect.

His attention was slowly drawn in as he listened to the mission briefing. It was a C-Rank mission, he was beaming. They were the first of the rookies to receive a C-Rank, or so the Hokage had told them. He looked to his two teammates who were also silent but obviously proud to be done with the simpler missions and of course…Tora. The hellish D-Rank that should be A-Rank, sometimes he thought that Tora had even given Kakashi the slip at times.

"This is your client." Then a door slid open, and an elder man, though still bulky, and stinking of booze. He looked as if he was going to complain, but the looks that the three Genin were giving him, made him freeze. He'd seen the eyes of many a man and woman. Those weren't the eyes of a group of innocent children; those were the eyes of three soldiers. "Everything looks in order. I plan to head out in two hours' time. I am heading to Wave country so I'll be at the southern gate." With that the man turned and walked back the way he came and out of the building. Naruto however, could smell something was off here, but he kept it to himself for now.

Kakashi was observing his Genin closely and noticed the slight movements of the usually hyper shinobi, and smirked. He'd noticed it as well. That Naruto was doing much better than he expected to notice the queues of a man hiding something. Kakashi wasn't too surprised. Missions were rarely as simple as they seem, if they were always so up front then a Jonin wouldn't be needed on mere C-Rank missions. "Let's go team, you heard the client. Two hours. South Gate. Come ready for a long trip. I'd say three weeks maximum." The Genin left without a word, and Kakashi smiled a bit before looking over to the Hokage his single eye seemed to darken.

"He's definitely hiding something Hokage-sama. Should I find that he is hiding something that is exceeding mission parameters?"

"I'll leave it in your capable hands to decide Kakashi-kun. I am certain that you can handle it."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. Consider it done. See you again soon, sir," then Kakashi was gone, a puff of smoke as his only sign of being there.

"Do you really think they are ready?" the worried voice of Iruka broke the moment of silence.

"Don't worry Iruka-kun. I am certain that those three are ready to see what the world really holds," The Hokage's wise words did little to calm Iruka's worries but it was too late to argue now, so he went back to sorting scrolls.

[_Fire Country Roads_]

'_You must be aware at all times. Even if you think you are safe, and sound. Keep your eyes open, be aware, and be detailed. Consider the facts. For instance. When was the last rain? Some time ago. Why are there two large puddles?' _Naruto frowned as his inner voice of reason noticed something out of the ordinary due to his increased awareness. Ever since his battle with Mizuki he'd found that he'd had this little voice in the back of his head giving him a hand, pushing him to his potential. Naruto reasoned that it was merely something all shinobi possessed. Instinct. His was just latent from his lack of education at least that was his thought.

He was walking on the right flank, Sasuke on the left, with Sakura taking the rear, and Kakashi in the front. The center was held by Tazuna, their client. Naruto, and Sasuke shared a look, before they both checked back with Sakura. Just a moment later, a pair of ninja exploded from cover, and Kakashi was their target. The Elite Jonin was unbothered, and prepared to be 'cut' to pieces. He was, however shocked when both shinobi were caught. One by Sasuke, and the other by Naruto. Their chain based weapon collapsing to the dirt.

The fight, if you could call it that lasted only a moment longer as the boy flipped each of the chuunin class enemies into each other with a racket of noise they each collapsed unconscious. Kakashi was both pleased, and a tad annoyed. He'd planned to observe how their attack pattern worked to determine if they were after them or the bridge builder. They were alive however, so such investigations were still completely possible. "Well done. Sasuke, your technique has improved, as has yours Naruto. Sadly we will have to head back to the village."

The three Genin and the bridge builder were in shock. "Why!" the four shouted, and Kakashi merely pointed at Naruto's hand. Naruto looked down to see the slim cut on his hand, and his eyes widened. Mist Shinobi were well known to be masters of poison use. How could he have been so careless! Kakashi was, however preparing the pair of shinobi for transport and then interrogation.

"You can't abandon me now! You're my only hope!" Kakashi looked at the man with a gaze that spoke of his uncaring nature towards the client, or this client at least. These were chuunins! This was at least a B-Rank mission. These two were specialists as well, he wouldn't continue with a wounded comrade either, not for this liar.

"Sorry, but with Naruto poisoned it's an additional dangerous liability. You should have told us the truth; this is above and beyond even what I thought you'd bring to bear against us. Missing Ninja of the Mist." He didn't mention the fact that he knew these two worked with someone else, though the name slipped his mind, he knew that it was a truly deadly opponent.

Naruto looked on, as he saw Tazuna's face slowly twist into one of despair. It was worse for Naruto; it was a moment of fear, of hesitation that caused his to get cut. He cursed himself, how could he be so weak! He'd made a promise to protect this man, and he'd let his fear take over.

"No. I won't allow this. I won't go back on my word. I won't run away!" Kakashi turned to reprimand Naruto, on his foolish choice to move on while poisoned. Even if they could remove it, the supplies to do so would take hours; hours that could kill him. Instead he was frozen. Naruto had bit his thumb, and was doing something Kakashi had only seen a handful of times. His hands were blurring through the air, chakra glowing on his fingertips as he finished an array above his wound; the blood literally floating as if it was written on paper, and then pushed more chakra into it activating the seal array. A moment later a spray of blood flew from his hand and hit the ground, before the wound closed up.

'That was…combat seal use!' Kakashi thought, as his student looked up to him with a weathered look and smiled tired from the obviously large amount of chakra he'd wasted from inexperience with control, and using combat seals. Still Kakashi was blown away. He'd seen dozens of people attempt such a thing only to lose limbs before they even make the first symbol. Special Jonin and Jonin no less! For a Genin it was unheard of. Only in one place, in one small village, where sealing techniques were their most precious secret was such a thing even considered possible. "Naruto…"

"Come on, Sensei! We can't give up on the poor guy! He needs our help." Kakashi sighed a bit and smiled as he nodded, using a shadow clone discreetly to gather the information, as he turned away from them, the clone well hidden.

"Ma, fine then. Tazuna-san. It seems that unless we have any objections, we will continue to escort you." Sasuke and Sakura were already back in their positions, and Kakashi smiled brightly. He'd taught them the meaning of never abandoning those who needed them, a bit too well perhaps. "Then let's be off."

It was a couple of hours later, while they were walking that Kakashi decided it was time to speak with Naruto. The formation was close enough that he could talk to him discreetly, and he looked at the blond. He seemed to have recovered his stamina greatly, and really didn't seem to be any worse for wear. "Naruto. How did you know how to do that with your seals?" Naruto looked to his sensei, his blue eyes confused for a moment, as he tried to recall how he'd done it, and merely smiled a bit. He couldn't remember, and even if asked to do it again he doubted he could.

"Instinct sensei," he responded with a bright smile, before all the hair on his neck stood on edge. "Why? Was it a bad thing?"

"No. Just…don't mention it back at the village. It's a rather rare skill, one that shouldn't be spread around just yet." Naruto blinked before nodding quickly, noticing they were coming up on the boat across the river to the Wave country.

"Hai, Sensei."

[_Wave Country_]

It wasn't too long after they'd reach the shore of wave and continued onwards, that something began to nag at Kakashi's sixth sense, which alone was usually not a good sign. The fact that his Genin seemed to be feeling the same, was just as worrying. It was then that he felt it, something was off right-

**Thunk**

Kakashi stopped on guard as he looked at where Naruto had thrown his kunai; a frightened white rabbit was skittering away. Naruto was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, obviously the dreary mists were getting to him, or so the Genin had thought, as Kakashi frowned. '_A winter rabbit…strange. Its coat should have changed by now unless…'_

Then he felt it, and with a quick look he shouted over the childish one sided argument between Sakura, and Naruto. "Get down!" he ordered and everyone obeyed, in the same instant, even Tazuna hit the dirt along with them as the dirt was kicked up by a massive sword swinging over their heads, and slamming into a large tree, hitting it hard enough to actually stick into it. Kakashi recovered first, and his single eye narrowed. His memory suddenly slipping into place, as he looked over his opponent.

"Zabuza Momochi. The Demon of the Mist."

"Hmm. Kakashi Hatake. The Legendary Copy-Ninja, this should be interesting indeed."


	7. Wave Arc II

The Shinigami frowned as he thought on the question that had been asked of his by his guest, and considered it for a long moment as he shrugged "Well, I suppose it's because I deal with beings that are typically too afraid to talk to me, or are only supposed to refer to me by my title that I just forgot what my name was." He shrugged as he walked over to closed door and slid it open, looking within was a room with a dozen shogi boards. They represented a metaphor for his conflicts in the mortal realm with the other god-like beings. The other concepts of reality.

Technically the gods were forbidden from interfering with mortals, unless they were called. That was of course, full of technicalities. The Shinigami himself was a new player to the mass game, as before he'd decided to change fate, he was non-player. Three short years and he'd caused more changed then had happened in forty years.

"Well then, I will call you Shin, is that okay with you?"

"Maa. I have no problem with that, 'Shina-chan." He walked over to one of the shogi boards and frowned as he noted the particular movements he was facing and smiled. Then with a simple turn he returned to the main room, where Kushina was resting.

"I am curious. What inspired this house, and your clothes? They are so foreign." Shin smirked as he took a seat, and scratched his cheek. He was obviously considering his answer.

"Well, you see before any of this. Before the Rikudo Sennin, before the age of Shinobi, before the very shape of the world became as it is now, it looked very different. The universe itself was very different. There was a place full of Shinigami, called Soul Society. I was a Shinigami with them, I think. I don't really remember much from that time. All I know is some kind of dimensional cataclysm happened and Kami had to step in to fix it all. Now it is all regulated by us. The Gods. I am the supreme Shinigami, even now there are spirits of death, but they aren't individuals like they used to be. Just will made manifest." He attempted to explain it but slowly faltered before chuckling.

"I suppose you could say, it's a style from a world that no longer exists. I just remembered it, and I like the high collar, glasses look. Makes me feel less…intimidating."

"Compared to your other guise, I am not surprised you'd want to be less intimidating." She joked a bit back, but it was obvious that she was worried.

"Don't worry too much. I promise you, that there are things even I can't comprehend in this world. Your husband, and your son are two of them. Their purity in heart of darkness, and their endless kindness, and strength baffle me. I can assume that you had a touch of it as well. He'll become strong, your husband is with him. One day, you'll see." Shin smiled as he conjured a crystal ball and set it down on a small cushion. "It is against the rules for me to allow any dead soul to observe the world of the living, by channeling chakra through this sphere and thinking about who they want to observe. So don't do it. I am going off to take a dip in the hot springs for a couple of hours, exactly three I'd say. "

Then the Shinigami was off, and Kushina smiled as she heard the sound of a door open and close, before she began to watch the sphere. Three hours, and what a time to start, as she watched a madman throw a massive sword, just over their heads.

"Kakashi…Naruto…" she smiled seeing her husband's apprentice as her son's sensei, and continued to watch the exchange, praying for her son and his friends silently.

All the while Shin was worried. Something unexpected was happening. He was a divine being; he existed outside of normal space, and normal time. This was a unique situation indeed. It meant that something that would affect the very core of fates plan would soon be coming up. He hoped it would be good for his side of the game.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

{Battle Theme I: On the Precipice of Defeat- Bleach Soundtrack I}

Naruto shivered in terror as the Jonin's pure killing intent washed over him, as dense as the mists that now surrounded them. His entire body felt frozen as he listened to the world around him, hoping for some warning, something to give him a clue. What he heard instead made his blood turn to ice.

"Heart…Lungs…Kidneys…Spine…Larynx…Jugular vein…Collar bone…and Liver. Each one of these places…if I strike you there. You die." Zabuza's voice cut through the mist like a knife. Kakashi took a step forwards, and slowly lifted his headband.

"Don't worry. I won't let anyone under my protection die while I am still breathing."

With a single disturbance in the air, the genin noticed Zabuza had appeared seemingly from thin air, between all of them, preparing to strike out at their client Tazuna. There was a single instant where it looked like the older man had been cleaved in two before even Kakashi could reach him, however a splash of water was heard as Zabuza's water clone was instead cut down.

Kakashi smiled as his clone shifted and looked to the three Genin. "Take Tazuna and back off! I'll hold him off." Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura looked between each other. They seemed to be terrified.

Zabuza and Kakashi clashed again, and Naruto watched as a single glimmer caught his eye, and he dived forwards, pulling Tazuna to the ground. A wound tore its way across Naruto's back for a moment, before he suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hmm. Impressive. I didn't expect a kid to be adept in the use of clones like that." Then a moment later Sasuke was at the water clone's side, with a wide kick aimed at its head, but he was easily batted away.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna were frightened by the overwhelming power their enemies clone was showing. It would take only a single solid blow to take him out but it just wasn't happening. It was then that the clone glanced over at the battle between the original and Kakashi.

"It's over kids. Fake ninja like you should just run home, while I finish up here." Zabuza's water clone didn't move closer but, it was obvious why it said that. Kakashi was trapped in a sphere of water. "My hands were drenched with a hundred men's blood by the time I was your age, and even now I can see you tremble before me. How pathetic."

Naruto was considering it, he wanted to run. He was terrified. It was only a small burning feeling in the back of his head that made him stand his ground. His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the warrior before him, and smirked a bit. His confidence was beginning to build as he a plan began to build behind his eyes.

{End Theme I}

{BattleTheme II: Warrior by Disturbed}

"Come on, Sasuke. What are you? A chicken?" he smiled as he looked to Sasuke, in a way that let the other Genin know that he had a plan. "Sakura," Naruto said, causing her to stiffen, as the blond smiled "here we go, be ready and protect Tazuna!"

Then Naruto made a few hand signs, and Sasuke charged forwards towards the water clone at the same time he was surrounded by clones of his teammate. In the instant that Zabuza's sword went to cleave them all the clones dived to their dooms only to create a single opening. The water clone was dispersed as twenty of Naruto's clones met the same fate. Sasuke was standing, eyes wide in fear. The sword had been only an centimeter from striking him.

Kakashi was shocked, and Zabuza merely grunted in annoyance as he summoned a pair of clones. "Don't get cocky!" Sasuke however spun around before throwing a single massive windmill shuriken. Kakashi watched the deadly blade fly towards his opponent, right between the clones and would strike at Zabuza if the man didn't move. The pair of clones growled in anger as they charged forwards prepared to cut the two Genin into bits.

The missing ninja merely smirked; it was a good plan, with a fatal flaw. He jumped up, without losing his connection to the sphere of water. The shuriken soared under the man, before a puff of smoke revealed it wasn't a mere windmill shuriken but a clone, with a smirk on its face.

Naruto back off on the ground, merely said one word, even as the two clones moved towards him and Sasuke, with a half tiger hand sign, and nothing to defend himself with. "Boom."

Zabuza's eyes widened as the clone exploded throwing him up into the air, the sphere of water that once contained Kakashi, protected him from the powerful explosion. Kakashi was easily able to regain himself on the surface, he watched the two water clones disperse just before making contact, and he pulled down his headband to cover his eye, a slight smile on his face. This fight was over.

"Good work, Naruto. Sasuke. Sakura." A moment later Zabuza crashed into the earth, splintering tree branches, his sword barely held in his hand, as Kakashi moved over slowly, looking over the collapsed missing ninja with a cold stare.

"I don't need my sharingan to tell me this. Your future is death."

{End Theme}

Almost on cue, a trio of throwing needles slammed into the nearly dead shinobi. A moment later a masked shinobi appeared crouched down on his haunches, as he looked at the gathered shinobi and nodded. "On behalf of the Mist village, and myself I would like to thank you. This man was a very difficult mark to capture. I will dispose of the body properly." Then in flash, the shinobi was gone in swirl of water. Leaving Kakashi with a frown, and a trio of happy Genin.

"Come on, we should continue to Tazuna's House." Kakashi said, he was really low on chakra but not to the point where he'd collapse. He knew he'd need to get a good night's sleep however. That and he had to plan on the next move. Zabuza wasn't down just yet, but for now, he knew they were safe. That he could let the three Genin celebrate a hard won success.

Tazuna on the other hand, easily noted the Jonin's unease and decided to play along. He'd talk with the other man tonight.

On their trip back however, Sasuke's own curiosity wouldn't leave him. His sensei possessed a sharingan eye, but was not an Uchiha descendant. Perhaps he could learn the history of his sensei, at a later time, as the Jonin did seem a bit tired, even as they reached the older man's house. Kakashi merely murmured a goodnight once he had a place to rest.

Naruto however, was already getting ready to head out. "I need to do something. I have work to test, and tests to work. I'll see you guys in the morning." Then he was off. Sakura was reading a scroll that she'd gotten from the library in Konoha that was deemed okay to travel with. So he merely decided to begin writing up how things were going so far. It was normal for the Uchiha clan, once the military police of Konoha, to keep notes of non-classified missions, and mission information. Well, all missions outside of the village, anyway. He wanted to keep the traditional alive, and he quickly began to pen down their travels.

It was aggravating to admit that he wasn't as directly powerful as his teammate, but he wasn't jealous of Naruto. Kakashi had explained something to them early in their careers as ninja. He kinda figured to was geared towards preventing anything between Naruto, and himself.

[_Flashback_]

"You see, you might look to Naruto and think 'wow, he can do this, and that! He's more powerful than me'…" Kakashi's single visible eyes wandered to Sasuke, and then to Sakura who had been complaining about Naruto's rocketing progress. "It's not something so sudden. Naruto's what I would call a Savant, and an extremely hard worker. He's got a gift for seals, and can use them much easier than most. So much easier he assumed they were a lesser ninja art. It might look like, that he's an overwhelmingly strong person to fight, but he's limited in different ways than you. He's had a hard time learning technique, and book smarts. He's rather upfront, and doesn't always think things through. Meaning that he's not perfect." Kakashi continued with a smile, before leaning back against the tree that is behind him.

"Train hard, work with him. You will understand. He's strong for his age, but he's just like you. Sasuke, you will feel threatened due to his ability to learn, and progress. The powers of his abilities are great, but you are an Uchiha. You will too reach a point where you will be able to match him, and you will see. Naruto is just getting a jump start." Then the man's gaze turned to Sakura.

"You have forgotten things that Naruto may never even know about, as long as you dedicate yourself, work hard, and keep learning things will work out for you. I noticed the past two days, that after team meetings, missions, and training…you both go home and relax. I will tell you now, if you want to keep up, that won't cut it." Kakashi continued to educate his students. "Naruto trains every day after we meet, for at least two hours. I won't say that I know exactly everything he does, but if you continue to slack, he will leave you both wondering."

Then Kakashi turned and left his Genin with food for thought. In his personal thoughts though, he wasn't certain of how much truth, and how many lies he'd just given them. Naruto was continuing to surprise him, and his ability with seals…it was amazing. The kid would definitely be an asset in the coming years. He even considered loaning him the sealing theory book, that his sensei had given him for his birthday, but decided to save it as a gift for when the blond turned chuunin. He calmly walked over to look over the blond's training and smiled with a calm sort of certainty. Somehow, he got the feeling that things would be okay, and that maybe...maybe Naruto's dream had a chance of success.

[_Flashback End_]

[_Wave Country_: Woods-Night]

Naruto panted a bit, as he looked around himself.

The woods were filled with ruins trees, and burnt leaves. He had to discharge one of his seals again. It hurt, but he was working on adapting them to be more useful. Soon they'd be perfected, he suspected sometime in the next week. Then he'd really show sensei, and his team. He finished his notes on his seals for the night, and yawned loudly. He was working on one of the several arrays he planned to add to his own once he found them to be safe. He was color coding them. Blue meant ready for use, green meant most likely safe, brown meant sort of dangerous, red meant dangerous, and black...black was deadly. He'd managed to work this seal from a red to a brown. He pressed the top of the scroll and the colored filter shifted. Even that caused a bit of pain.

His seal array was in error and currently in a red state. Whenever he used a more advance jutsu it caused him pain. When he continued eventually the energy built up and needed a release. Currently it left him, rather crippled until he could fix it, and add the new arrays...man he'd be awesome then! He knew what he needed now, and so did his body. So he yawned one more time before shifting to get up, but ending up on his back, barely propped up on his elbows.

His body screaming, aching for rest. Slowly, but surely he was conceding. Looking back towards the home of his client, and then to the soft bed of leaves.

"Heh, never doubt me. I am Uzu-maki…Naruto…" and with a tired sigh he collapsed, ready for sleep to embrace him.


	8. Wave Arc III

Naruto groaned as he listened to the silence of his surroundings. The sound of water falling, drop by drop, falling down into a pool below. He felt like he'd been here before. There was something here, something…he couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't feel it. He just knew it was there. He could hear, but he couldn't see, he couldn't feel. There was just a feeling in his gut.

"_You are closer now. I can feel you. Every day you take a step closer to coming to me. I can't wait to see you. I am afraid to see you. I don't know what you will do when you see me; I wonder even now if my words are reaching you. I want to help you, I want you to know me. Open your eyes_." A gentle voice prodded, and Naruto felt…comforted by it. It was so familiar.

"_No. Not yet I suppose. I will be here. I will show you, I won't allow you to wander alone. Just be patient. We will meet. I just hope you can forgive me. Now…go."_

Naruto shot awake, his eyes dancing around the nearly empty clearing. There was a person looking down at him, shocked, wide eyes. Naruto blinked a bit trying to gauge the situation, and remembered his exhaustion from the day before. He glanced at the person looking over him, a beautiful face, framed by dark silky hair, and a curious expression. She was carrying a basket for herbs, currently filled with local plants, all medicinal.

"Are you okay? Ninja-san?" her voice was soft, and polite. Something seemed off to Naruto but he merely smiled, and shook his head.

"Ah! I am fine, thank you. I just overdid it…again." He chuckled, and smiled at her. She didn't react much but to smile politely. Something still seemed off about her. He blinked a bit and slowly stood, he stretched a bit before smiling. "Looking for medical herbs, eh? I can help you out then!" he paused as he scanned around, and then blinked as he blushed a bit. "Ah! I am Naruto Uzumaki, by the way, what is your name…miss?"

The girl's quiet giggle, made Naruto blink, as she responded "I am called Haku, but I am afraid you have made a mistake." Naruto's face wrinkled in confusion as he looked at Haku. "I am a boy, although it is a common mistake."

Naruto was caught off guard for a moment before looking Haku over and blinking a bit. His thoughts quickly turned to mush as he realized his mistake, and moved to apologize. It was then that he noticed it. What was off about the herb picking boy.

"Liar. A good one, but still a bit rough." Haku blinked, and took a step back defensively. Naruto merely smiled a bit before saying "You can turn off the seal, I can detect the minor fluctuations in your electrical field it causes. While it is a good disguise seal, for most forms of detection, it pales when it encounters someone who uses more than his five senses." Naruto beamed, and Haku sighed a bit before shifting. The seal's effect vanished in a puff of smoke, and Naruto found himself, now standing eye to eye, with a beauty, he'd seen some girls that were stunning in Konoha, but this Haku…she was in her own class!

Naruto's eyes quickly wandered Haku's form and after a moment he smiled "Wow, for a civilian that seal must be there because of how pretty you are. With all of Gato's thugs around, it's obvious!" Naruto said, and Haku silently thanked the blond for supplying a reason for her disguise. "Although, it is uncommon for non-shinobi to use seals, it isn't unheard of. Perhaps a kindly wandering hermit…" he let his thoughts continue off.

Naruto and Haku continued to talk, and pick herbs, some of which Haku didn't know about as she wasn't familiar with the Wave country, and it had a few plants more common to the coastal areas like the Fire country.

"Well, I hope to see you around again, Haku-chan! Maybe tomorrow?" Haku tilted her head and nodded a bit a slight smile on her face as she left, Naruto watched her leave until she was out of sight and his smile fell from his face. He turned away slowly he suddenly didn't feel like training, and walked back towards the house, a few new ideas sparking in his mind.

[_Gato's Mansion_]

Gato smiled as he walked through his mansion, he was dressed in his usual manner, his stubby finger clenched into a fist, that alone said he was a bit worried. He called in his two favorite bodyguards (of the week), and calmly got them prepared, he'd be going to see his most recent employee, and taking care of some business.

He felt something twinge in the back of his head, like he was forgetting something, and then quickly remembered a few things, and had some of his boys going to work on them. Yes. This would work out beautifully.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

[_Later That Day…_]

Naruto was waiting calmly as he watched over several clones doing some reading; he was just getting back from guarding the bridge. Sasuke, and Sakura were still working on water walking, which he was able to conquer through his clones, reducing his chakra using seals, and luck. He wasn't sure, but he knew that Kakashi was having them train because of something he wasn't telling them, and Naruto had a good idea what it was.

"You're starting to pull ahead, Naruto. I think you might want to relax a bit, and get used to your current level. Great leaps in power create a monster sometimes." Kakashi's voice said with its usual dispassion, and accompanied by the flipping of a page.

"I am close, Kakashi-sensei. Then I can take a break. At least until I need to push myself again." Kakashi looked at Naruto, and shook his head. It was sad, that Naruto himself couldn't even read his own lies. The boy was a hard worker, and he wanted to grow, more and more.

The Jonin turned and walked away, his head full of worries, and hopes.

Naruto on the other hand was working on his arms, and extending some seals while cutting others short, fixing arrays. He would make sure to get it perfect! He had to. This was his specialty, and he needed to discover how he managed that blood seal. He'd read about combat seals, but still the knowledge just seemed to slam into his head and then leave like a bolt of lightning.

He was also having trouble with seal condensing. His seals covered all of his arms, and now they were growing onto his torso. It was troublesome, and it left the secrets to his seals in the open. He needed to figure out what he was missing. He clenched a fist and smiled a bit. He was going to have to finish this up later though. He heard Tsunami calling them down to eat.

"Tazuna-san." Naruto said after eating for a bit, and looking to his food. "I wanted to know. Have you ever considered what comes after your bridge is finished? Couldn't Gato destroy it?" Tazuna blinked a bit, and then frowned deeply. Truth be told he hadn't thought of that, and it made his goal feel even more impossible.

"Well, before you lose hope, I was working on something, and it just so happens one of my failures could be quite useful. I call it the Reinforcement Seal. It would make the bridge's already strong structure even more difficult to destroy. However, I would need to learn how to condense seals first…sadly that may take me a long time." Naruto's flukes were starting to become even more useful; once he learned how to make the seals condensed he could apply it to weapons, armor, and other objects he owned. Judging from how sturdy the bridge already was, it would likely take a force that Naruto couldn't even conceive to break it. Maybe a bijuu could do it, but that was about it.

Tazuna's relief and worries were conflicting, until the silver haired Jonin calmly stated. "I actually know the method. I can teach it to you, Naruto." Kakashi's single eye never left his book, but he was happy inside, as he also resolved to get into Sasuke, and Sakura's training tomorrow, Naruto's energy was rather infectious.

Naruto snickered a bit as he leaned back in his chair, pretending to not feel the pride he felt. He had easily manipulated his sensei into teaching him a difficult sealing technique, all the while, he'd help his mission along. It was going to be a long night indeed.

[_Zabuza's Base_]

Haku was calmly cleaning up, she was humming a light tune as the deadly missing ninja rested from his wounds, his deadly weapon still easily within arm's reach. Even now Haku wondered how deadly her master was. It was a matter for some debate, but the events of the morning had her mind wandering. The blond shinobi was a strange but kind boy. Naruto was very similar to her. Still she didn't know why she agreed to going to meet him again, and she worried if she even should.

During Haku's distraction, the former swordsman of the mist was faking his rest, and listening. He'd been noticing irregularities in his favorite tool, the biggest being she'd deactivated the disguise seal. That was strange on its own, as she only did so when he ordered her to. It was a troubling problem, even more so that he couldn't deal with it. He would wait, however. Once he found the source of it, he'd destroy it his sword and be done with it. Well, unless she picked up another pet. That had proven to be a useful hobby.

His senses were getting sharper again, as they tended to fade in and out after being put through a false death. No one was near, just him and Haku for now. He wondered if the Konoha ninja knew he was alive or not. Wondered if they were hunting him, if they were merely using a stealth technique to hide, and were coming for him right now…

He'd known Kakashi was a legend, but even his brats were formidable, luckily he had Haku, and next time…it wouldn't be so simple for those brats.

[_The Next Morning_]

Haku was timidly looking around the patch of forest where she'd first met the blond, and was a bit worried. Perhaps something happened, or this was a trap, or he was kept away, or she was just being silly, and he never meant those words. She was fussing, and worrying so much she'd let her guard go down, and thus jumped in surprise as a warm, and loud voice shouted behind her.

"Morning, Haku-chan!" Naruto was smiling brightly, while she recovered her breath.

"…Erm…Good Morning, Naruto-kun…h-how are you doing?" the blond continued to beam, his blue eyes sparkling, as he took her hand, and began to lead her.

"I want to show you something amazing I worked on last night, but it's kind of a secret." He looked back, and this time his smile was less, visual but she could tell how passionate he was, and she couldn't help but stare at his hand, holding her own.

Slowly they were in the main village of the area. He continued to lead her into a back alley area, and then through to a small group of houses shrouded by trees, and she could smell the delicious smells of a medley of foods. Several families were cooking foods that looked fresh, and expensive in Gato's current market. Naruto stopped and beamed as several people waved them over.

"You brought them the food?" Haku asked in surprised and he nodded with a quick smile.

"Yep, Tazuna's family has enough food that they eat well, even now, but most people don't so I decided to go and gather some from all around…you gave me the idea with the herbs. So they invited us to eat with them. Every day I am here, I will bring them a meal." Haku frowned as she looked around, and he waved her off. "I placed up a few seals that prevent easy detection, along with a few other defenses that aren't so automatic." He smiled and led her forwards again.

It would be hours before they left, several families would move out and new ones would come to cook and eat. Haku was amazed by the whole thing, and ate with the villagers. She'd never really felt like part of a group before. She didn't even really notice what was going on around her, so caught up in the event, like a massive party. When she came back to herself she found herself resting against a tree, with the exhausted blond snoozing against her. She wasn't normally big on physical contact, but something about the boy made her feel so comfortable. She smiled, and snuggled into the warmth of the sleeping ninja, and let her head rest against his.

The pair was left on their own by the villagers who merely walked by until the area was quiet, no one passed by as the day passed the sleeping teens. It was already becoming the late afternoon, when a man looked over noticing the pair, and sneering recognizing Haku's face. He was one of Gato's guards, and after last night's events that girl had a nice bit of coin on her skull. It wasn't like he'd get another chance to make that kind of ryo. So he slowly began to creep over, He shifted slightly, and drew his katana so that he lessened the noise he'd have to make as he drew even closer.

He looked down at them, and smirked, neither had awoken. From the blonde's headband the thug knew that if he took them both out, he could get some kind of extra on top of his usual bonus! He smiled brightly as he brought up his sword, just as Haku's eyes blinked open, slowly and looked at him. She was in shock as she quickly attempted to take charge of the situation, but her position, lack of gear, and grogginess mixed together to allow the thug to strike at her. Haku could only close her eyes, and hope that Naruto would be okay, as she managed to push him off, his weight disappearing in an instant.

She waited for a moment, wondering at the way it would feel, as splashes of warmth spread across her cheeks. A grunt of pain, and a growl of anger.

"W-Wha? Let go you stupid brat!" the thug shouted digging the blade deeper into Naruto's hand, which had seemingly little trouble holding on even still.

"Let go? Sure!" then he shifted a bit, and released the sword, making the man jerk back. The single instant that the man was open, all he saw was the white of a flash, and then nothing as he was thrown away by a blast of pure energy, unrefined but still dangerous. "H-Haku-chan, are you okay?" Naruto asked with a bright smile, as his brutally cut left hand dangled at his side. "Sorry, that guy ruined…"

Haku's finger pressed to Naruto's lips, easily silencing the flustered boy, confusion on his features replaced by surprise, and then serenity, as they each shared a important first with each other. A first kiss. Haku's lips pressing to Naruto's in a moment neither would forget for the rest of their lives.

[_Above the Treeline_]

A solitary figure watched invisible to world as he shifted a single hand in annoyance. He was a tall regal man, obviously a samurai caste noble with long fine white hair, and red eyes. On the shoulders of his noble kimono wear the kanji for moon, and on his back was the symbol of the Uchiha clan, as well as several clans now unknown to the world. "I will see your world brushed aside, Shinigami-chan. Or I, Tsukiyomi will have to move even larger pieces upon you!" He produced a single ornimental fan and waved it over himself, as if cooling himself. As his eyes turned to a newcomer to the island, and smiled deviously before fading away completely leaving a single whisper.

"Let us test, the conviction of the king of death..." the silky, but grim voice of Tsukiyomi lingered for a moment before all traces of his presence was gone.


	9. Wave Arc IV

Blood.

The ground was littered with it. The great bridge to gap the expanse between the island country of Wave, and the mainland was drenched with the red color. Naruto's eyes were wide, his heart pounding in his ears. All around him the remnants of battle, and death were spread around. His eyes locked on the fallen form of a dark haired woman, a brutal hole in her chest. His eyes moved over to the man responsible, and then to the enemy himself, his sword gleaming even now in the blood colored mist that surrounded them.

The smell, the sight, and feels of it all burned in the young blonde's chest. He could see his exhausted friends, and sensei merely waiting for something, but it didn't register right. Tazuna was hiding the furthest back, pale, frightened, and a bit ill looking. Naruto was barely containing himself, as if someone was screaming in his mind, trying to keep him calm.

"No! This can't…this…ca**n't be real! I won't allow it!**" Naruto's eyes locked with his enemies, sharp, shark-like teeth smiling, as he looked back at the genin, unafraid. "**I will fucking kill you!**" He roared, as he exploded, the entire bridge shaking for a moment, as every bit of the blonde's fury was unleashed. "**Just die!**" he screamed before charging forwards, towards his sword wielding foe.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

[_Three Days Earlier…_]

Naruto smiled as he managed to finish the last of the changes to his seals, and bounced a bit, he felt great! Nothing would be able to make him feel down now. Instead of the massive sprawling seals he'd had before, he now had a pair of small seals on the outside of each of his biceps with several circles, showing how much use they were getting, twelve circles max on each side, and three were in use at the moment. He blushed a bit as he thought about yesterday, and the day before. His hand had healed far faster than was natural, but he assumed it had to do with his special status as a container to the Kyuubi.

That wasn't what brought about his blush however; he'd spent a lot of time with Haku since the attack on them. Naruto's mind was lost in a fog, as he wandered out of the house, heading towards where he usually meets the dark hair beauty. His silver haired sensei, merely looked up from his book for a moment before looking back down, and wondering silently to himself, what had he been missing for his student to have a look like that on his face.

He didn't even think about anything else, until a pair of bare arms wrapped around him from behind, and a slight giggle let him know who it was. She very rarely showed much skin, but Naruto had made a small meeting place in the forest for them, using his clones, and seals to easily make a little hideout for them. He smiled and looked over to her, and tilted his head.

"Oh hey, Haku-chan! It's unusual for you to sneak up on me, like that. You're here early too!" he was ecstatic as they walked to the cabin like structure, Haku leaning on his back playfully. It was impossible to find their little hideout if you looked for it, as the seals shrouded it from view, only knowing it was there, following one of them, or accident could lead you there. He could feel her weight and it made him smile, as he stepped into the shadowy cover of his hand built little home, it was basically just an expansion of the basic dynamic of building, something he studied a bit to make certain seals, and with the reinforcement seals, it meant even if he did mess it up, it would stand with ease.

He smiled and felt Haku pull off and rest on the bed's Naruto had made, although the mattress had to be purchased, and smiled over to him as she did. Naruto got to see just how she was dressed today and blushed heavily; she was wearing a tight fitting dark sleeveless top, and a pair of light colored shorts along with a pair of sandals.

He took off his heavy shinobi cloak, and vest, revealing a dark colored shirt, and his black pants, all standard shinobi issue, black, and rather warm, but he wasn't too bothered by it. The cool island's warmest weather was rather normal in a place like Konoha. Naruto walked over and rested next to Haku, who happily snuggled back up to him, as they relaxed, she always felt so cold to Naruto's burning warmth.

Naruto and her rested for a bit just enjoying each other's presence, it was a while later that Haku looked up at Naruto and asked a simple quiet question.

"Naru-kun, what do you think makes someone strong?" Naruto blinked, it was a strange question, and it made him really think hard. Something to make someone strong…training, jutsu, talent? No that wasn't it…it had to be something more…something greater…

"I'd say resolve. I think resolve makes someone strong." He responded and though she smiled, and snuggled a bit closer, she shook her head.

"I think it's a good answer…but I think…that protecting those closest to your heart is the path to make you the strongest. To protect your precious people, is the path to true strength." Haku said and looked into Naruto's blue eyes before planting another kiss onto his lips before slowly standing. Naruto was blushing lightly, but nodded, thinking on the words she spoke.

"I have to go now Naru-kun…I don't know if I will see you tomorrow…" she whispered as he shook his head and smiled, as she thought of her duties, and commitment to Zabuza, as well as how close he was to a full recovery…and how she was growing too close to an enemy, it hurt so much, but she knew it would hurt more…

Her thoughts were interrupted by Naruto's lips on hers, and for the first time since they became close, he took the initiative letting his instincts guide him, and they shared a deep passionate kiss, that held the emotions that each held for the other. Both outcasts, both orphans, both finding the need for contact, and love in one another.

When Naruto pulled back, she was a bit dazed as she looked back at the blond, and again she doubted herself for a moment. She wished she could be honest, she wished…

"I still have to go, Naru-kun…" she moved to turn away but his hand grabbing hers stopped her dead. She tried to pull away, harder and harder each moment.

"Please stay, Haku-chan…unless you think Zabuza-san needs you." Haku froze, not facing him, but her eyes were as wide as saucers, as she gulped.

"How long?" she asked shakily.

"Since day one, I noticed the same disturbance when you appeared with your mask on…I wanted you to tell me…I wanted to see if you could trust me…I am wanted to trust you…I want to know you. Haku-chan." He whispered as he hugged Haku from behind, with the strength and passion that only someone like him could possess. She'd never felt so bared open, that she began to cry, telling him her story while being held in his arms.

It would be some hours later when she would realize just how much he meant to her, and her resolve to protect him. How the young shinobi's own resolve to protect her was just as bright. So she would learn, what love was, and slowly they would need to decide, what to do about their respective sides in the coming battle.

[_The Night before the Attack_]

Haku was resting in the small handmade hideout, she hadn't told Naruto when the attack would be, although she knew it would be tomorrow. She hopped he would show as he promised, a thing he'd not once broken since they'd met. Naruto was a soul forged from gold in her books. She was worried as she knew that tomorrow would be the day it all happened, and she didn't want to lose her blonde…

What exactly was Naruto to her? Friend? Boyfriend? Lover? The last one brought a decisive blush to her cheeks just from thinking about it. She wandered around for a while longer, thinking on what to do, what to think of, and what exactly they were to each other. Those questions were so important at this point, that she was spacing out, though not so much that she didn't notice a rather displeased blond enter, his gaze on the floor, muttering something about annoying clueless kids. Haku blushed a bit more as she looked him over, though she was a bit older than him, he wasn't quite physically immature, and she could easily see the man he would become, from looking at his features now.

"Haku-chan!" he smiled as he noticed her gaze on him, and smiled a bit as she looked to the broth she'd managed to put together for him, and the soon to be finished ramen with a sad smile but it disappeared a moment later, and she moved closer to him. For tonight, they would maybe be all three. Naruto would get his first moment of truly physical love with Haku, and have her cooking for the first time, never noticing the special herb she sprinkled onto it…

[_One Hour before Present_]

Naruto groaned groggily before slowly standing up, his head was pounding as he slowly stumbled over to the doorway, his eyes a bit heavy. He was quickly burning off his lethargy, and continued to stumble towards his charge's home, he had said he would do his best to come home on time, instead of sleeping out here, and had accidentally broken that promise. It was a bit later than he'd normally get up, and he wanted to hurry back to Tazuna's house. Kakashi wouldn't be too happy about his sleeping in, but he'd been working hard lately, he was sure the jonin would understand.

Naruto was still a bit lethargic as he reached the clearing just outside of the bridge builder's home. He sighed a bit as he stepped in, about to call out that he had returned, when he heard shouting. His blue eyes narrowed, and he stealthily moved towards the sound. He could see through the doorway, from against the wall that Inari, Tazuna's grandson was on his knees looking up at someone, that Naruto had no doubt was an enemy. It was obvious what their plan was, and Naruto smirked a bit before making a couple handsigns.

Zori, one of Gato's bodyguards and loyal henchmen, smiled as he brought his sword down, on the boy's head the mother was already gaged and restrained so there was no need for the boy. There was a flash of light, and the sound like glass shattering. Both Zori and his companion Waraji had been blinded by the light for a moment but by the time they had recovered, there was only shock left on their features. Zori's sword had struck…something…and shattered like glass against it. "W-What the fuck is going on here!" he shouted looking around for a moment, before he heard Waraji groan in pain, and turned to see a blond haired kid frowning at him.

"Naruto!" Inari shouted relieved, and a bit bothered; now that the man saw him, wasn't the blond at a disadvantage?

"I'll be over there in a moment…good work Inari." He said with a small smile, as Zori charged with his wakazashi in hand, but Naruto merely frowned, watching with the interest of a child who was curious. "What are you doing…" the without a bit of resistance on Naruto's part, Zori cut him in two, from the shoulder to the hip. "…attacking a clone like that." Zori groaned as Naruto easily disposed of him with a reverse kunai blow to the back of the head, the smoke from the clone quickly clearing. Naruto frowned thinking for a moment, before holding out his kunai to Inari.

"You have to a hero now, Inari. I have to go. Untie your mother. Keep her safe. It's your turn. So far you've done great work…keep it up!" Naruto smiled before bolting out the door with impressive speed, gritting his teeth as he did, his eyes narrowed as he ran faster and faster. He couldn't believe how blind he'd been. This was just a part of the plan! They were attacking today…but why did it happen this way! Naruto was moving more than fast enough to get there in only a matter of minutes, but he quickly found that the path seemed to curl back onto itself. He looked around annoyed. Someone had laid a trap for him, a genjutsu no less.

Naruto easily pressed on two seals on his abdomen, activating them constricting his total amount of chakra, before breaking the illusion, but found that he had moved further from the bridge, not closer. With a growl he leapt off, removing the chakra limiters again so he could use his normal capacity. He would take almost twice as long to reach there now. In the shadows, a single figure watched and turned away, the mission complete, before disappearing completely a malevolent chuckle left behind in its wake.

[Battle Theme I: _Avenger Theme- Naruto Soundtrack_]

At the bridge, Sasuke groaned a bit. He'd been caught in a dome of ice mirrors, and was able to dodge the attacks with ease thanks to his doujutsu, that he'd managed to awaken over his week of hard training, it was stable now, but even he couldn't dodge every blow that the girl he was fighting threw at him. He frowned a bit looking to the small gaps in between the mirrors, the trajectories of all of her attacks, and tried to come up with a plan. If he'd gain a more dangerous technique, one he could channel more of his fire into, he'd perhaps be able to escape but as it was, his limited repertoire was making his escape impossible. He wished he'd gotten Naruto in here, together they could have done it, using a combination attack, or something.

"This is it. Sorry it had to end like this…" Haku whispered, and Sasuke growled in annoyance, hopping he could dodge it.

Kakashi wasn't fairing much better overall, but he had one last trick up his sleeve as he wondered at his last student's location, he collected the blood he'd had on his kunai, and pulled out a scroll. "This time, no prophecies! This will kill you, Zabuza!" the swordsman laughed, and disappeared for a moment, but it didn't matter. Within moments Kakashi had finished his summoning jutsu, and a squad of his nin-dogs were hunting the swordsman down.

Sakura frowned a bit as she looked around, she'd been left to guard Tazuna, and she felt something was off, before a dozen of Gato's mercenaries silently charged her. She was shocked and terrorfied, they had sword's drawn and she knew that she had to defend herself. She hoped her training would carry her, and found that these men were weaker than she thought. She was already finished with them, after a couple shuriken throws, and a few cuts of her kunai. They were all down, dead on the…ground…

Sakura couldn't take it, as she realized her actions and felt herself throw up, crying, clutching her abdomen. The world seemed to be spinning even as the water on the bridge mixed with blood. Zabuza's mist began to disappate, as he was caught. Lightning began to spark around them, as Kakashi charged up his final technique.

Sasuke smirked a bit, as he shifted from his stance, he'd managed to pull it off. A skilled feint, one that would have been much easier had Naruto been there to distract her, but he was able to hit her with a fire ball in transit between mirrors, ending her technique, and the battle. Unlike Sakura, Sasuke knew to end the battle he'd need to dirty his hands, and solemnly drew his kunai. His steps towards Haku seemed slow to the barely conscious girl, as the sound of metal ripping through air caused Sasuke to have to deflect the incoming blow.

At the edge of the bridge stood at least a hundred more mercenaries, Gato, and a younger looking man, with dark hair, grey eyes, and the outfit of a swordsman of mist, though not of the seven swordsman. He was smiling and laughed a bit before appearing in front of the force of mercenaries. A metal spike in hand, as he looked at the battlefield. Kakashi and Zabuza hadn't noticed him yet, and the Uchiha was looking at him like he was crazy. "I am Mizuru, of the Mist." He told the young shinobi before smiling "recently went rogue, to help my brother with a pesky ninja problem, right big bro?" the ninja said as he looked back to Gato who merely nodded and laughed a bit.

Sasuke growled, and prepared to fight the newcomer, as another metal spike flew towards him, and prepared to deflect it. At the last second it split into a thousand sebon needles and rained on Sasuke and Haku. They were each downed now, bleeding, and in Sasuke's case unconscious. Haku for her part could only think of her young love, and her master, and sighed. "Goodbye…Naruto-kun." Then summoning a mirror with the last of her strength just behind her, she appeared just in front of Kakashi's charge.

The jonin's eyes widened and he somehow sensed the girl's intent, and managed to stop his charge, something off about her…her smell. It was familiar, the lightning still active in his hands. Haku seemed equally surprised behind her mask, and relieved the moment the scream of "Kakashi-sensei!" broke the air, as Naruto landed, and the silver haired man noted the look of incredible worry on his features.

"Oh, hey Naruto-" Kakashi was cut off as he surged forward's slamming his hand into the girl's chest with a look of shock on his face, blood leaking from his back where a massive metal spike had landed in his shoulders, driving the attack home. Both Zabuza and Naruto looked to the man, but the former was too injured to move. Naruto's eyes continued to stare at the scene like it was a lie. As he looked to the man who threw the spike, and noticed the rest of the bridge as sword made only of metal grew seemingly from the man's hand.

[End Battle Theme]

[_Present_]

[Battle Theme II: _Are you dead yet_?_ -Children of Bodom_]

Blood.

The ground was littered with it. The great bridge to gap the expanse between the island country of Wave, and the mainland was drenched with the red color. Naruto's eyes were wide, his heart pounding in his ears. All around him the remnants of battle, and death were spread around. His eyes locked on the fallen form of a dark haired woman, a brutal hole in her chest. His eyes moved over to the man responsible, and then to the enemy himself, his sword gleaming even now in the blood colored mist that surrounded them.

The smell, the sight, and feels of it all burned in the young blonde's chest. He could see his exhausted friends, and sensei merely waiting for something, but it didn't register right. Tazuna was hiding the furthest back, pale, frightened, and a bit ill looking. Naruto was barely containing himself, as if someone was screaming in his mind, trying to keep him calm.

"No! This can't…this…ca**n't be real! I won't allow it!**" Naruto's eyes locked with his enemies, sharp, shark-like teeth smiling, as he looked back at the genin, unafraid. "**I will fucking kill you!**" He roared, as he exploded, the entire bridge shaking for a moment, as every bit of the blonde's fury was unleashed. "**Just die!**" he screamed before charging forwards, towards his sword wielding foe.

It was quickly evident that something was wrong, as lightning began to bounce around the charging blonde, and red chakra was washing behind him in his wake. A roar unlike anything a human could release was heard, shaking the mercenaries behind Mizuru, who merely smiled, his shark-like smile and waited. With his metal skeleton, and metal bloodline, he was unstoppable! "Come and get it you little bitch! Yeeeaaahhh!" he shouted and began to charge in response.

Those who hung back began to shiver, as the mass of red chakra, and the lightning began to take the shape of something…something…sinister.

Far from the bridge the flashes of lightning could be seen, and a small boy, hugging his mother's leg said "Sorry, I have to go help Naruto mom, for the safety of our home!" Inari ran off to gather the villagers, he had to hurry, whatever was happening…he knew it wasn't good.

[_End Chapter; End Theme..._]


	10. Wave Arc End

Shin was calmly resting in his chess room, where he could easily contemplate the paths that his plans would take. One board in particular was of importance right now. The board between him and the god of the moon. He smiled a bit as he looked at the sudden shift on the board, pieces moved impossibly, it showed the direct interference of the divine. He shifted to move a piece, to attempt to change things the proper way.

It was as sudden as a bolt of lightning, as violent as an earthquake, and held the force of a long sleeping volcano. To the naked eye it looked as if the realm of the lord of death was flashing between a deep purple, and bright yellow. The ground shifting, moving, and rolling. He could hear Kushina's frightened shouting. The Shinigami was frowning however, as he looked to the board. With the exception of the pieces that had been removed, they had returned to their starting positions.

"What's going on!" Kushina shouted as she looked to the Shinigami from the now open doorway. Shin smiled a bit, he'd felt this kind of power before. It surprised even him, a divine being, that such a thing could exist like this. He couldn't explain it to her, not yet at least. The world of the divine was one of secrets, and this one was closely guarded.

"It seems, that fate has a few cards of her own to play." The Shinigami smiled a bit as the rumbling died down, and the world slowly began to right itself. "She is a fickle one at times, but this time…she's put her chips down in a most interesting way."

He looked to the board representing Fate and himself, though they rarely used it, she held on a single piece. She was Fate afterall, those she chooses are meant for great things. It was then he noticed, it was true that these tables were merely childish representations of his own choosing, but the feeling he was getting from that board…it was different.

"Come we have more training to do."

"Sweet! I love training." Kushina said, as she moved off to go collect her things, the Shinigami looked worriedly to the board.

"This is a most…interesting development. History is quite interesting to watch at times."

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

[Battle Theme: _Are you dead yet_?- _Children of Bodom_]

Naruto screamed out as he charged forward, his eyes flashing red, his arms swinging downwards as he collided with the metal user. Mizuru was laughing they clashed, expecting to merely cut through the child. He was coughing a moment later when he was twenty feet away, smoldering from the electric shock.

Sakura for her part, was in shock. The power of the red chakra, mixed with Naruto's own rage was crushing her very heart in pain. It was only for a few moments that she stared in awe at the display, power in waves crashing against the sobbing teen, until she collapsed, unable to take anymore.

The mercenaries weren't even looking down at the fight, their eyes glued to the sky above. The fearsome power gathering taking shape into the maw of a massive fox, a single red eye could be seen for a moment, before it broke away with the wind, mixing with the lightning that seemed to be perpetually jumping around Naruto.

The form that rested behind him now, was merely a pair of massive blue and red masses of lighting that seemed to move, and act like arms, or perhaps tails. Shifting only every moment or so, as Naruto began to stalk towards the gathered forces. "**Die**."

Mizuru groaned as he stood, amazed that a child could create such a monstrous power, his dark eyes bearing down on the boy, as a single spear of metal grew from his palm. "Die, you piece of fucking trash. Sonic Spear!" he shouted as the spear of metal shot towards Naruto with incredible speed, and power. It took only moments to reach the blond, who merely raised his hand to stop it.

The devilish chakra seemed to melt away from his hand as he raised it, as if repulsed from the very act he was preforming, until the spear suddenly shot backwards with far more force, throwing the rogue ninja into the herd of terrified mercenaries.

It was then that they saw the true form of the objects behind the boy. They were not tails, or arms. No. They were wings of blue, and red lightning, flapping slowly in the mist morning light. The men began to scream, as they realized what was coming out of pure instinct. "Please! Show mercy!"

"**No.**" in that instant one of the wings seemingly disappeared, shooting forwards like the mass of electric power it was. The wing's power was so great that only a scorch mark remained of the horrific damage that more than half the mercenaries suddenly received.

Zabuza and Kakashi were both in a state of shock. That kind of power was purely unreal. "This kid of yours Kakashi…what did you say his name was?" Zabuza wouldn't normally admit that a child could make terror crawl up his spine, but as he watched the second wing slowly lower, to face the gathered men, he had to know.

"Uzimaki Naruto…" Kakashi's weak force was able to gasp, though his life was not threatened, he was in no condition to fight against Zabuza, or try to stop Naruto's rampage. He slowly was able to stand back up, as he looked over the girl that he'd accidentally killed, and recognized her scent easily now, that was the smell he'd noticed on Naruto. He looked to his student with saddened eyes, and let out a sigh.

"I-I wo-won't die like this!" Mizuru shouted as several of the mercenaries had already leapt over the side of the bridge, not wanting to die, and deciding to chance the fall, and swim than the boy. Naruto growled in rage, before the second wing was gone, this one seemed to screech against everything, the world seemed to be screaming. Now only two forms remained, Mizuru's slowly standing form, and the quivering, terrified Gato.

"**Yes. You will.**" Naruto growled out, before slamming his clawed fist into Mizuru's stomach. It took only a moment before he began to scream, louder, and louder as lightning began to arc from the metal man. Another wing forming from the power that Naruto released. "**Shine Brighter…**" he grumbled and the lighting seemed to be blasting out from the man now, shattering he flesh like it was glass, leaving gaping holes from every inch it touched. "**Shine Brighter…**" Now there was barely enough left of the rogue ninja to scream, as he looked into the demonic red eyes of his enemy, and shivered in shear, god fearing, and paralyzing dread. "**Sky Reaver.**"

In a flash of light, Naruto's hand was clasped around a metal spine, the flesh melted on the ground beneath his feet, as the fox-like maw seemed to appear for a moment, devouring the skeleton of metal. Naruto's eyes locked on Gato, who watched his boat speed off, his only safe escape stolen from him. "**Gato.**" The man barely had time to look back, and scream as he was devoured by the lightning, his body falling to the sea in bits, as the lightning began to die down.

[End Theme]

Naruto turned allowing Zabuza, and Kakashi to see the blood red tears, and demonic red eyes that the blond possessed. His steps moving towards them, and Zabuza took a step back out of sheer fear. Kakashi was barely able to stand thanks to that spear in his back.

Naruto's steps stopped as he reached down to cradle his fallen companion, friend, and first love in a sad wail he buried his face into her chest. Zabuza moved to stop the boy, but Kakashi's raised arm stopped him, as Naruto continued to cry into the dead girl's chest. Kakashi's eyes showed his sadness as he covered up his sharingan, and looked back and noticed the village people approaching, and smiled.

The oppressive feeling slowly disappeared , but as the people looked towards the blond a flash of lightning obscured their vision as if some greater power intervened and hide the final moments from them. All that was known about it was, every living person who looked back at the light merely remembered a warmth filling them, as if they'd been touched by something more. In that moment the sick, became the heathly. Even the blind could see. The wounded were healed, as long as they were still alive. Even Kakashi felt something change within him, something just felt right, and the gathered people witnessed a miracle.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Haku's voice was weak, but she was breathing again. Zabuza, whose arms and body were healed looked down at his partner, and smiled behind his bindings. He slowly reached down, and realized that the blond was unconscious, but said nothing more for a moment as he took Haku, and looked to Kakashi.

"I wouldn't tell the boy everything, Kakashi. I have to go. May we never meet again." He muttered to the Jonin, before quickly departing the area, as a pair of voices asked at the same time, each one sounding a bit lost.

"Kakashi-sensei?" The silver haired jonin looked to his other two genin, and smiled. Tazuna was on his knees crying and looked to the jonin who merely shook his head, and the village gathered, and whispers spread of a divine miracle, from the ninja of Konoha.

[_Three Days Later_]

Nobody spoke of the miracle much, after it happened, as Kakashi mentioned that such things could be undone with a simple word or two if misused. Using the superstitions most held, he managed to keep the strange happenings to minimum. Kakashi had been trying to figure out what the light had done to himself, and found that several old, and rather annoying injuries had suddenly just disappeared, as if they'd never been. Naruto had been asleep the whole time. His genin were training, and the bridge would be finished, and dedicated tomorrow. He planned to leave the moment Naruto awoke, and he could judge how the blond was fairing.

Kakashi was worried, and a bit bothered. He knew that he'd struck a vital blow, and with his lightning blade no less, that girl was mostly dead before she hit the ground, her heart stopped. He couldn't believe that Naruto could have brought her back, there were some rumors of such things but the costs were never simple and small. He hoped that it was some sort of true miracle.

"Kakashi…sensei?" Naruto's weak voice asked from the jonin's side, and he looked over quickly, jumping a bit. The boy's bright blue eyes were only opened a sliver, before they closed for a moment. "I feel…tired."

"You've been asleep three days."

"What…happened?" he asked confused, and Kakashi blinked a bit and smiled behind his mask. He expected some kind of intense trouble from Naruto's memories, but it seemed whatever happened literally he had lost whatever memory of it he had.

"We won. It's over." He whispered, and gave him an eye smile, before moving to head out of the room. "Tomorrow, we're heading home. Get some sleep." He finished before exiting, and preparing to have another message sent out. It was going to make the Hokage happy to know what was going on. He was still worried, but that could wait.

For now.

He looked around as he stepped out of the house, and pulled out his favorite book. He needed to unwind a bit before heading out to tell the others of Naruto's awakening. He also thought on Zabuza, and Haku's leaving. It was just too complicated. He giggled a bit perversely as he read a particularly invoking line, about the main character and the brothel maiden.

Naruto however, wasn't as tired as he was only moments ago. He was frightened for a moment, and slowly he felt a heavy weight of melancholy settle over himself. He remembered the scene of his Haku, laying down bloody, and the blood. So much blood. He sighed a bit, and looked to his seals on his arms, and found they had mostly recovered their power as he rested. It was good, he figured at least something was working. He couldn't believe he'd failed her in the end. He'd failed…

He looked forwards, eyes hard and determined.

"I will protect my precious people, no matter what, in your memory. Haku-chan!" he declared before pulling himself out of bed, and quickly dressing. He had one thing he had to do. Something he thought was important, and he was sure she and her master would appreciate. So he opened the window, and silently ran off, to a nearby grove. He quickly dug up in a barren part two large mounds, and filled them with rocks, before finding a couple of straight branches to mark them with, and smiled a bit sadly as he pressed his hands together and prayed.

"I won't fail again. I am so sorry. I love you, Haku-chan. Goodbye." Without another word, Naruto turned his back on the makeshift graveyard, and smiled a bit. He'd do better, and prove that he would be the best shinobi in the world. For her, and the memories she had with him.

Quietly, a bandaged swordsman watched from afar, his visage only noticeable for a single moment, before he was gone, and not even a rustled leaf left to say he'd even been there.

[Realm of the Gods]

It was a massive palace, but it existed nowhere and everywhere all at once. It was a neutral ground for the divine, where they were completely equal from the lowest to the highest; only Kami herself was in power here, as the creator. This being her realm, though she has not been seen from her throne in so long some of the divine believe she has left the world. There were few rules that were as important as the rules of this place. There was no battle here, and only the divine themselves may show themselves. The Shinigami was almost an exception as Kami's Executioner he occasionally broke that rule, but it was rare, and only when she asked. He was now standing in one of the many grandiose hallways,that mere words could not describe. He was met only a few moments of waiting, with the features of the annoyed moon god. His eyes were borrowing into Shin's who merely stepped forwards.

"What did you do? Did you dare to break a tenant of your own position, Shinigami!" he shouted and the Shinigami's eyes narrowed, he was not in his guise at the moment, so he pushed up his glasses and shook his head. "Then why did you call me here?" Tsukiyomi demanded, and the Shinigami frowned a bit.

"You called me here." He responded in a clipped tone, and the moon god's eyes seemed to shine with rage for a moment before a sharp, but playful giggle filled the hall.

"Silly children, calm your selves. I called you both." The woman that was fate was impossible to discern as she changed herself almost constantly, but her essence was always the same. Enigma, even from her fellows. "This has been interesting to watch, however as a reigning elder, with permission to overview such things, your conflict can no longer continue as it has. So we will be deciding rules now. By we, I mean I. No more direct intervention. No more of the attempts to impeach on my purview. Finally, no more games. Mortals are not your toys, keep you manipulations to your chosen pieces, or be prepared to face the consequences." She growled before looking at the other two, and smiling.

Both the Shinigami and Tsukiyomi were elder divine beings as well but only a few had the purview that allowed them to do as fate had. The Shinigami merely agreed before disappearing, and fate left a moment later.

Tsukiyomi frowned a bit before turning away. "Too late. I've already won. This war you started will cause you to lose more than you imagined, and even Fate will see the brilliance of the Moon's madness!" then his insane laughter filled the halls, and the world began to weep.


	11. Chuunin Exams Coming Up!

Naruto frowned as he looked down from the branch he was sitting on, he'd been back in Konoha for a little over three weeks now, and they'd moved down to being restricted to D-rank missions, not that he had a lot of complaints. His last excursion out of the village had left more than one scar on the blond ninja. He had both of his arms bound in wrappings for the day, as he'd thrown himself into training, ever since his return. He could feel the aches and pains in his bones, much less the less dense parts of hi,.

Then there were the strange feelings in his chest, like something was missing. It was like the world had lost a shade of its brightest color. He just didn't feel up to doing many of the things he used to love doing. It was like the entire time, he'd been moving forwards, but he wasn't really doing anything. He was already failing.

"Such an expression! You remind me of my brother, so what's wrong?" Naruto jumped as a soft female voice appeared behind him, seemingly from thin air, and he slipped off the branch. Only to be caught, and dropped a bit more softly after he had a moment to let the shock pass over. He looked back to see a female, in a jonin outfit like Kakashi's, with black hair and dark eyes, though she only looked a couple years older than he was.

"Uh, do I know you from somewhere? You look very familiar." The girl's smile was childishly bright, and friendly. She shook a single finger in front of Naruto's face, leaning forward with the other arm cocked on her hip in a negative movement, but with a wry smile.

"It's rude to ask a lady her name without introducing yourself first!" she said brightly, and Naruto smiled a bit at her constantly changing attitude. She went from playful, to contemplative, to cheerful and scolding in less than a minute.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki." The girl's eyes didn't even widen an inch, as she merely smiled and shrugged a bit.

"Interesting name! I am called…" she paused a moment before tilting her head and grabbing Naruto by his cheeks. "Wait…Naruto…Naruto…I remember something about that." Her eyes stared into Naruto's for a long moment, the blond completely at a loss as to what he should do. "You! You're Sasuke-chan's teammate!"

Naruto blinked, his cheeks still in the girl's death pinch "Sasuke…chan?" he blinked a bit before the girl released him, and smiled brightly.

"I am his older sister! Mikoto Uchiha. Pleasure to meet you, Uzumaki-kun. I hope my little brother isn't causing you too much trouble." Naruto blinked a bit, Sasuke had never mentioned a sister, he remembered something about him muttering about his mother…

"Nice…to meet you?"

"So, then your mission must be what's got you down. Sasuke mentioned that something must have happened to bring you down…so…"

"I'd really prefer not to talk about it." Naruto sad with a cracking voice.

"Fine, but then how about this. Knowing your sensei…he'll be entering you into the exam soon. Do well, and I won't pester you, but if you fail early…I'll pester you until you tell me everything!" without waiting for his agreement, the bubbly Uchiha was gone; a whirlwind of leaves is all that remained.

"That girl…is nothing like Sasuke." Naruto's mind slowly drifted off, as he remembered his talk with the old man after he returned. It felt a bit more like a burden than a memory…

[_Three Weeks Ago…_]

Naruto was held back after Kakashi's report, and was looking to the floor before him. Kakashi's written report obviously held more details than they wanted to share with his teammates. He didn't care, despite his promise, he just couldn't get the feeling of her hair in his hand out of his head, or her scent for that matter, or her kisses…or her voice, and it was all just a jumble of emotions to him now. The Hokage, and Kakashi seemed to be talking about certain things, but most of it was obviously a code. Naruto just wanted to train, or something. Anything to get his mind out of his head.

"Naruto-kun." The elder spoke, with his usual grandfatherly tone. "I cannot say I am happy with these events, but I am certain you know the consequences of letting your emotions run wild on the battlefield now." Naruto's eyes hardened a bit as her smile flashed through his memory and he faltered, only nodding. "I am sorry that this happened to you, of all the people I know, you deserved to be happy, Naruto-kun. I am also sorry, but I must ask you to recount all of it. In full detail."

The Sandaime could feel the pain he was extracting with each word the young blond spoke of the girl he'd fallen so hard for. The older man's eyes widened towards the end, as did Kakashi's who merely looked away and out the window, pretending to look at something in the distance, instead his eyes were glued to the hand that had pierced the girl's chest. Never had a kill weighed so heavily on his shoulders.

The elder man moved and gave the boy a hug, and told him, that it was okay to cry sometimes, and that this was one of them. The elder Sarutobi, had never expected such a kindred spirit to the boy to have been his first love, or that he would have gone so far so young. The elder was worried for the boy, and he could tell that Kakashi was as well. It was after sometime that the boy's cries slowly passed and the elder shinobi allowed him to leave, before retaking his chair.

"Kakashi."

"Hokage-sama. There is more…once he saw what had happened…something happened. I would normally assume it was merely the Kyuubi, but…" he paused and thought on it. "The results were different, I couldn't say what it was, other than it was something I've never encountered before. Naruto is something else." He stated, and the Hokage nodded as he considered Kakashi's story of Naruto's powers. Sarutobi knew the seal was designed to let Naruto use the fox's powers, but this…this was something new. Sarutobi didn't let his curiosity or his worries become evident.

"Very well. Kakashi. Dismissed." Once he was alone again the Hokage wrote out a simple scroll, and closed his eyes. He sensed the presence of another, and didn't want the sensitive words to be noticed by another.

"I suppose, that you know why I am here." The shadowy figure said from the corner.

"Another one?"

"Correct. It's quite irregular. I will continue to watch. I will see you soon if things continue the way they have been." The presence was gone and the Hokage frowned a bit, it was becoming quite an interesting coincidence.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Naruto was calmly awaiting his turn to spare, his arms crossed and eyes closed. Sasuke was dominating Sakura even without his eyes, which gave him the edge even against the former top member of their squad. Not that Naruto was in top form, but he wasn't exactly the type to hold back either. So he restricted his moves to those he could control. It left a big part of his arsenal out of the battle, but Sasuke too had some more dangerous techniques at his fingertips. Naruto also noticed that their sensei tended to show up earlier to observe them then he used to. He calmly stepped forwards to take Sakura's place in the spare, as she was a bit too tired to continue. Sasuke wasn't even winded. Naruto took a calm stance, and Sasuke took his Uchiha styled stance.

"I think that's enough for today. I wanted to let the three of you know I signed you up for the Chuunin Exams. All you need to do is fill out…" then Kakashi held out three identical pages of paperwork. "these forms, and meet up in two days' time at the listed place. If not, no one is making you go." The silver haired Jonin smiled a bit before saying "Take the time between now and then off to think on it." With that, the trio was left to themselves. Naruto didn't even respond as he simply pulled out a pen, and filled out the page and handed the page to Sasuke, along with the pen. "Hold onto that for me." Then he walked off, leaving his two teammates to look after him with a bit of worry.

Naruto was wandering around, told to relax was almost more troublesome than being told to explain himself. All it did was leave him with himself, to his own thoughts. He really needed something to distract…

"Hey! Put me down!" a voice called from down a small alley way. Naruto blinked as he recognized that voice.

"Maybe you should watch were you're going, then! For now, I'll teach you a bit of humility!" a gruff voice said, before Konohamaru shouted out, his two friends squabbling at the larger teenage boy to put him down. The air seemed to leap a bit before the boy dressed in a classic puppeteer's outfit blinked. His hands empty.

"I think you should have listened to Konohamaru, and his friends." Naruto responded, his blue eyes staring into the older boy's, the young Konohamaru stuck to his hand as if by magnetics, and then fell to his feet, at the blonde's side.

"Who the hell are you?" the boy demanded, and Naruto sighed a bit before affixing the foreign ninja with a rather harsh stare, a frightening power flowing off of him. Utilizing the trick that Zabuza had used, he pushed his desire for revenge, and anger towards the boy who cowered back a step. His sister behind him seemed less affected, and began to blush. The boy's power was amazing. Close by, the youngest of the three foreign ninja watched, and smiled viciously at the feeling the blond showed. He was so excited to see someone like him here.

Naruto's glare only seemed to grow darker as he said "Who are you? Answer quickly, the Anbu don't take kindly to people attacking the Hokage's Grandson, especially if they are foreigners."

The boy with the wrapped item on his back grumbled in a small voice, obviously frightened by the boy's aura "I-I am Kankuro." The two blonde's locked eyes, and one blushed a bit before she felt his overwhelming intent wash over her and she shivered. It was just like her brother's!

"I-I am T-Temari."

"I assume the one in the tree, hiding is with you as well?" The pair both seemed shocked and looked over to see their youngest brother staring down at them, before disappearing in a swirl of sand.

"What. Is your name?" Gaara asked, his own intent pushing out against Naruto's and the pair's forces struggled against the other's.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"I am Gaara of the desert." The boy's eyes never left Naruto's "I can't wait to see you in the exams." Before turning and walking away. "Kankuro, Temari. We are leaving."

"B-But Gaara!" Kankuro began, but the boy's eyes looked back to Kankuro's and the older teen became silent as he followed. Naruto let out a small breath of relief as he looked to the children who were all giving the retreating backs of their assailants the stink eye.

"Try to stay out of trouble you three." Naruto said before suddenly disappearing, leaping up to the roof without much trouble. The Konohamaru corps seemed to not know where their boss had gone. Naruto walked on, hands in his pockets as he looked up to the clear sky, and wondered at the meaning of it all. Then he smiled a bit, as he recognized his stomach's growling. It was ramen time. He'd started eating it less since he read the books that the Hokage had let him borrow showed him the importance of certain food groups as a ninja.

He leapt from roof to roof, mind completely locked on his tasty treat, until he was slammed into hard. Thrown to the ground, landing thankfully on something softer than the hard roof. He shook his head and propped himself up. "Ugh, what hit me." He said and blinked before noticing that what he landed on had said the same thing. He blinked a bit, as he looked at the mesh top, and trench coat. He blinked a bit as he was now eye to eye with one Mitarashi Anko.

"Hey! What's the big idea!" they both shouted, and then blinked in a rather identical manner. Anko blinked a bit before gritting her teeth, while Naruto merely gritted his teeth.

"Me? You ran into me on my way to get ramen!"

"Me? You ran into me on my way to get dango!"

Once again they answered in sync, only their final words marked any difference in their statements. Naruto, being on top slowly stood. Blushing before his eyes took on a much sadder look.

"Whatever, sorry. I got to go." Then in almost an instant the boy was gone, leaving the stunned Special Jonin behind, blinking in confusion. She watched the boy go from her stop on the roof and sighed a bit before brushing herself off and standing, her eyes following the boy's retreating back wordlessly.

"Stupid brats." She mumbled but stopped as she thought about the boy's eyes, and frowned. She hated that look. Not because of anything it held, but because she understood it so well. Those eyes were eyes she had once worn herself. Long before. Without turning back she calmly decided to follow the blond, at least for the rest of the day. Something more was behind it all, something she was curious about, and she was certain that the Hokage would be as well.

[_That Night…_]

Anko was not a happy woman. Not happy at all. The boy had gone on and around to some of the least important places she could name, but this…this was inhuman! A secret garden he'd been growing? Most of the flowers were darker colored, with a dash of blue and white here and there. Perhaps she'd been wrong perhaps…then she'd heard it. The sound of sobs, and tears. The boy was breaking down, and she'd almost missed it. What could be so important about that garden though? She racked her brain trying to think on it. This was the Kyuubi container. He was on Kakashi's team. Had Kakashi mentioned…

'_One of my genin had quite a run in with a kunoichi on my last mission…_' Anko's eyes widened a bit, as she thought on it. This was a Jinchuriki, and a poorly treated boy, who'd become close to a girl, who she'd heard died at Kakashi's own hands. She could empathize. She'd been ridiculed and had her own young love taken from her, albeit by different means. She slowly stood in the shadows, and prepared to leave, feeling as if she'd intruded on something personal.

"Haku…I'll show them…I'll be a Chuunin…I'll show the world your conviction." Anko froze and looked back at the boy with a small smile tugging at her lips. The boy was amazing, most would lose all their will to continue, but instead he'd used it as fuel to empower him. She had to tell the Hokage, and then…and then ask him for another coupon for free dango! She'd done good she supposed, and the dango shops hated that little coupons she got occasionally.

Naruto for his part wasn't only reminiscing. He'd been drawing the finishing touches on his newest seals, and slowly stood, and tapped on the side of his bicep causing the seal to shrink into a small design, and then did the same to the other side. "Wind Jutsu suppression seals." He muttered quietly, as he turned and walked away. He had only a short time to finish everything else up before the exam. "I promise." He whispered before disappearing off.

[_Konoha_]

Through out the night, more and more new arrivals showed up at Konoha for the Chuunin exams. None were less expected than the single team from Kumogakture, and the same number of teams from Iwagakture. Each team's Jonin came with the same purpose.

Find out more about Konoha's newest addition to the bingo books.

Konoha's God of Lightning.

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Minato frowned a bit as he watched his son's turmoil and looked to the grim cage beside him, a massive if lazy looking red eye stared out from the bars and straight into him. "**Hokage. I did not think…you would be sealed here.**" The tired rumble of the fox's voice made the blonde merely smile.

"I have much to do. Little time to do it with, and I think we need to talk…now that you're awake about what we are going to be doing about it."

"**Hmm. Speak, and I will listen…mortal.**" The tired kitsune grumbled, and it would be some hours before they finished, but neither one knew of the outcomes their choices would bring to the boy they resided in.


	12. Chuunin Exams: The Start of a Journey

[_Words from the Author_]

I was never planning on writing one of these for this particular Fan Fiction (though this is not the first), but I decided that now was a good time. I have decided to not update the first chapter with the newer theme songs, simply because, as it stands I have little time between writing, and my other personal duties to even edit the thing with the newer songs. I will endeavor to do so when I have a moment to do so. I may do it during the time-skip during which I plan to take a quick break. Nothing much longer than some of my longer times between chapters, I will note that this story is a modular pairing story. That part just hasn't come up yet (It's more of the post time-skip era.)

What I mean by this is that multiple characters may have more than one relationship, some may prove to be less loyal, some may prove to be too loyal, and some might just break up and get back together again. I wanted a story that mixes a bit more reality into the story. I will eventually ask everyone what they are interested in for a "final" pairing. That is some time off, so please don't start voting now. I want the experience of the relationships of each character to weigh a bit more heavily. I will admit I originally wanted to write this story from the post time-skip, and just explain everything, but I decided to do a full prologue arc (that's what this is like in my mind.) I like it better this way, and it allows me to build up a story of more values. The Post Time-Skip Era, or the real beginning of the story, will have some chapters that are dedicated to characters other than Naruto, but are integral to the story.

This Story is only in its infancy. If you think it's even a bit dark…well the post time-skip will show you what I mean. This is just the beginning.

I hope you enjoy the story.

Thank you for reading.

Please Review.

[_Hokage's Office_]

Today was the day.

In a few short hours, dozens of teams would be competing for the position of Chuunin within his exam, designed and approved by his lead proctors. He had sent out a team of his best trackers, with explicit orders to deliver the package immediately, he already knew the target was close by so it shouldn't have taken too long. Now today's meeting was special. It was of his top operatives, as well as a couple of his specialist that needed to be informed of some turns of events. Before him was Kakashi, Asuma, Kurienai, Ibiki, and the current head of the Anbu code named: Ryu. It was a tense moment before Sarutobi began to speak from behind his laced fingers.

"I was recently informed by Watcher of a second occurrence of the shrine's heart reacting. As the only members of my forces aware of its existence, I have found that I should inform you. Since the foundation of Konoha there had only been five such reactions from the Shrine. The first was on the foundation day of our village, the second was the battle of Madara and the Shodaime, the third was the attack of the Kyuubi on Konoha thirteen years ago. The last two happened within the past six months, I am sure that I don't need to spell out how strange this is." The elder shinobi could make out that they were all attempting to grasp at what he was trying to tell them, but he decided to merely allow them to think on it. He himself, had no idea what it all could mean, or even the exact source. He was going to be referencing dates and times. It was incredibly important, something was causing a reaction.

"Will this have any impact on the exams?" Ibiki asked with his usual cool tone.

"No, I will however, be increasing security. I don't like the implications that could be behind this. Ryu, I am expecting the best from you." The man merely nodded, silent as usual. A shadow among the shadows. The third was hoping that the man's child will be allowed more of a childhood when he grows up, than the man himself was allowed. "That is all, I expect you to complete all of your duties." The nods and sounds of rustling wind was all that accompanied their leaving. The aging Hokage sighed a bit as he opened a drawer and withdrew a bottle of pills and took one. A recent prescription, one that would extend his time as Hokage long enough, to hopefully find a successor. He knew his time was growing shorter the longer he stayed.

"My flame…is slowly going out…I need guidance now more than ever…" he whispered before a small blue and green toad appeared in a plume of smoke next to a large pile of paper work, and once again the professor took on his role.

[_Uchiha District-Head House_]

Sasuke awoke to the smell of breakfast, and groaned a bit as he checked the time. He had only a couple of hours before he would be taking the Chuunin Exams. He couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted, even as he stood and looked around. The room was pristine, but he could feel the blood in the walls, and the cries in the air. Beyond that he still couldn't stand the strange feelings that had been building up in his chest since their return to Konoha. Somehow he knew that Naruto had moved forwards again, and despite everything he couldn't push away his resentment. He glared as he looked out onto the grounds, his dark eyes replaying the images of his kinsmen lying in pools of their own blood. Sasuke's fists clenched as he thought of the fate that one of his most beloved people had to deal with was even worse. He couldn't have imagined it had happened, but as the years had shown. It had.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a pair of arms wrapping around him, and pulling him into a hug. He sniffed and smelled the familiar smell of his mother, or as she was now, his older sister. "Mikoto?" he asked his voice shaking a bit, as the bright, cheerful voice of his 'sister' whispered into his ear.

"It's okay. I am here Sasuke-chan. Don't worry. I am not going anywhere." She waited for a few moments before pulling back. "Get dressed, and come to breakfast. I have duties this morning so I need to hurry up." She smiled and softly closed the door behind her. Sasuke closed his eyes before turning to look at the door, and silently swearing his revenge under his breath.

[_Chuunin Exam Building One_]

Naruto arrived early, much earlier than he needed to, and made a couple of simple seals next to the doors, before leaving to observe from a distance. He was scouting out the competition. The seals he'd made were receptive to strong chakras, and would send a signal to a third seal he had with him. Using this he would know who best to be wary of, and who was easier to deal with. Rule number fourteen. A shinobi uses every advantage he can, when dealing with enemies and the unknown. He was a bit bothered by the reads he got off of the Suna team, it was really huge. He would mark them down, then there was a Konoha team formed of older students. Two of them were nothing special but the third…his reserves were considerable, and if Naruto didn't know better…he thought that the man might have noticed his seals.

It was sometime, and he'd been taking quite a list before Sakura, and then Sasuke showed up. Naruto simply signaled to them, and lead them up through a window that was near his perch. Why go through an entrance that was so obviously monitored by others? Rule number twenty-two. A shinobi should always remain unpredictable. So they walked on, into the halls of the third floor, ignoring the commotion. Once they'd left the empty class room, a nigh invisible form shifted from the shadows, pressing fingers to a communicator.

"Mesu reporting. Uzumaki, Uchiha, and Haruno used alternate entrance fourteen. Add three points. Uzumaki preceded this with impressive recon, and use of strategy. Add two points. Also, watch team 157. Strange readings appeared around them." Then without another word, the Anbu returned to the shadows.

Not too far off a lean figure listened in and smiled viciously. '_All According to plan…'_

[_Chuunin Examination Room_]

Naruto frowned as he walked in and leaned against the back wall. Several older teams were giving them the evil eye, and he scoffed. He wasn't going to let some children scare him. One of them had impressive control over their killing intent, enough to make Naruto's eyes narrow, and they locked eyes. The genin was from Iwa. With a spike of his own killing intent the boy backed down, without the entire room feeling it. Naruto's outer façade of cold indifference was reinforced by knowing he needed to be strong. He needed to prove her convictions. Naruto crossed his arms, and sneered at those still facing him.

Sasuke for his part was just as unmoved as Naruto, and while he never had any direct killing intent thrown at him, he had little trouble in making others look away. He was a Uchiha genius after all. No one with half a brain would make eye contact with him, out of sheer fear of being attacked. Sasuke only wished that his fan girls felt the same.

"Hello, Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun…_Naruto_." The smooth, if cold voice of one Ino Yamanaka, her eyes locked on Sasuke, and then moving to the others slowly. She didn't leap and jump him, but she was happy to see her crush. She'd just been forced to grow up, she couldn't hold onto that childishness as a true Shinobi, or as a Kunoichi. Especially as a Kunoichi. When her eyes met Sakura's she could see that her longtime rival held some of the same notions, but not enough. Naruto…he was another problem all together. She didn't know whether to attack him, run away, give him a hug, or hope he never looks to her again. Something in his eyes told her that the first one however, would be the last thing she could do.

"Stop being so troublesome, and running off Ino. Asuma-sensei said to stick together…" Shikamaru finished his statement with a quietly grumbled "…not that I enjoy it." Chouji waved to the other rookies happily munching. It was shortly after that team eight showed up. Kiba laughing at all the annoying glares, with Shino and Hinata in tow. Though Hinata looked unwilling to be there, or it could just be the glares getting to her.

"Naruto! Man, it's been a while, give me paw!" Kiba laughed at his own inside joke, and Naruto let out a sigh, and smiled a bit. He and Kiba, peas in a pod. He lightly slapped the boys hand, and looked over the group of other genin.

"I am surprised Kiba. You aren't letting Akamaru play with all these chew toys." He said nodding towards the crowd of even more annoyed Genin.

"Naw, these ones might be bad for his teeth, and probably taste horrible." The canine-like shinobi smirked as he smelled something coming closer, and turned to see a silver haired teen with glasses walking towards them.

"You kids…you're really stirring up a hornet's nest." The boy said with a smile, "I am Kabuto Yakushi. I am a veteran of these exams. I figure that since we are all leaf, I might as well help you out." His smile widened and somehow seemed friendlier "Just to clear up, the next couple questions."

The group eyes Kabuto a bit warily, before the grey haired Genin pulled out a deck of cards. "Look, as a sign of peace, I'll share some information from my Ninja Info Cards." He smiled a bit before saying "Anyone you want to know about in the exams?"

Naruto remained passive, and Sasuke shrugged. Ino however stepped forward, "Team Seven from Konoha, and…" she paused as if thinking about it, but it was Naruto who calmly finished the statement. "Gaara of the desert."

Kabuto seemed disheartened at their already impressive knowledge of the targets and revealed the first card.

"Haruno Sakura. Strengths: Chakra Control, and Genjutsu. Weaknesses: Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu. Completed Team Missions: 42 D-Rank, 1 C-Rank, and 1 A-Rank." He said looking up to the rather shocked pink haired kunoichi. The next card he flipped was Sasuke's.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Strengths: Ninjutsu, and Taijutsu. Weaknesses: Chakra Control, and Genjutsu. Special Abilties: Possess the Sharingan. Completed Missions: same as Sakura." He simply filled that card away and moved on. This one was Gaara's.

"Gaara of the Desert. Not much information here…hmm seems that he's completed several high ranking missions with a special note in his file…he's never been so much as scratched on a single mission he'd undertaken." Kabuto looked at the other's faces and then said "Last but not least…Uzumaki Naruto."

"Strengths: Ninjutsu, Sealing Techniques, and Taijutsu. Weaknesses: Chakra Control, and Genjutsu. Special Notes: High rated skill with seals, rated to take the Seal Mastery Course upon making Chuunin. Missions: Obviously the same as…" then Kabuto paused, and blinked "…his…teams. Plus a Solo S-rank mission…" the assembled Genin and even Kabuto looked to the uninterested face of the blond with insatiable curiousity.

"Oi! Grey top!" the Iwa genin that Naruto had intimidated early stepped up. "Could you show me a card?" Kabuto shrugged a bit. "I want to know about Konoha's Lightning God."

Kabuto flipped another card, but this one came up blank. "This is the newest addition to the Bingo book, a Konoha shinobi who recently was seen in Wave, capable of decimating dozens of mercenaries, and a Jonin unscathed, with a single attack. He was reported to the Bingo book office by several mercenaries and even a few missing nin. His true name, and appearance are unknown at this time, however." The genin frowned a bit before nodding his thanks, and walking away. '_So much for that_.'

"Well, then…"

Kabuto was interrupted by a sound similar to lightning crashing into the ground, as dozens of people appeared in the room. All of which were older, and unpleasantly, displeased looking. As if they were attempting to burn a hole through the Genin.

"Shut up, and sit down! I want you all to be sitting in a pattern. Boy, girl, boy, girl, ectra. The people to either side of you must be from another village. Hurry up!" the apparent leader barked. Naruto found himself siting between two foreign Kunoichi, one from Kumo, and the other from Iwa. He sighed internally. This was going to be a long test.

"I will now hand it over to this exam's lead proctor." The grumbling man said, as in a cloud of smoke, a lovely dark haired girl appeared at the front of the class, sitting happily on the edge of the table, wearing just enough to be considered barely decent. For a moment, almost all of the strong, and tightly bundled tension disappeared, leaving a few too many aroused males.

"Thank you, Ibiki-san. I am the proctor of the first exam. Mikoto Uchiha." She paused to give a rather vicious smile, which made every previously excited man's blood run cold. "I am pleased to meet you." Sasuke on the other hand, was sweating a bit. He wasn't scared persay, but she was a bit unhinged at times…and letting her be in charge of this…

"So, I am certain that each of you is curious as to what you-"

"Could you stop stalling!" an angry kunoichi hissed at the rather loose seeming proctor. Several girls began to smirk only to stop when the scandalously clad woman disappeared, pressing a rather well shined kunai into the girl's throat, her red sharingan eyes staring into the girl's. Her entire body shivering.

"Kusagakure? Hmm." She sneered and pressed the blade a bit harder into the girl's neck making her yelp. "You. Your team. Fail. Get out before I decide to do something…more interesting." She commanded withdrawing to the front of the room in same nearly instant movement. Only a couple of the most aware never let their eyes move from the front of the room, staring directly where she had stood previously.

"Right. So, now the rules. No talking. No Questions. Each of you will be given a single piece of paper. You must write a personal secret, and a village secret on this paper. If you attempt to lie, the paper will burn, and you will fail. In case you think of writing something simple down, and hiding it…the person to your left will be reading it aloud, when they are told to."

"You have exactly five minutes." She smiled again, a moment later dozens of slips of paper were passed out to the prospective Chuunin. The first part of the exam begins.

[_Hokage's Office_]

The Sandaime was calmly doing his daily paperwork, when a soft knocking reached his ears and he signaled for the door to be opened. One of his receptionists rushed in, and whispered into his ear. The Hokage nodded a bit. "Surprisingly quick, send them in." the woman ran off.

"The Hokage welcomes you."

The larger figure easily stepped through the doorway, and scoffed a bit "You called? I was surprised to hear from you of all people…"

"Well, it seemed to me that we needed to talk." The aging kage stated as the smaller, and lither shinobi entered. "Demon of the Mists, Zabuza Momochi."


	13. Chuunin Exams: Moon's Eye Plan?

It was a tense moment, like as if the world was soon going to come to an end before his very eyes, as he looked into the eyes of the old man sitting before him. He was a fearless warrior, having fought dozens of opponents of nearly unconquerable skill, guile, and ability. He was a master of dealing death, and terror. Though, now before him, a nearly decrepit old man had him sweating and shivering. This was no normal old man though. This was the God of Shinobi, the man acclaimed to have fought in every Ninja War, and came out on top. This old man, could have killed him and not even noted that he'd attempted to defend himself. All these things took only an instant of the man's life for him to feel, and know. The Professor's very minimal killing intent forced him to see the depths of the aged warrior's ability.

There was much to be said of an old warrior, who lived to be that age because of skill, talent, and ability. Then you add experience, and if you are the elder man before the ex-Mist ninja, make him of the acclaimed Sarutobi clan. That was a recipe for a nearly undefeatable warrior. "Demon of the Mists, Zabuza Momochi." The swordsman was crack from his stupor by the words of the elder shinobi.

"I think it is time that you explain yourself. I have many eyes, as I a certain you already know. So, two things leave me curious. The first, being that you decided to report one of my shinobi as a A-Class or possible S-Class target, and then refrained from giving a description, as collaborated by several frightened mercenaries…" the slow and deliberate pause was what made the man begin to sweat. He already figured that he knew enough, and hoped the older man was not well connected to the blond brat. The look that the Kage was giving him told him otherwise. Zabuza was saved from the looks of the older shinobi as the door slammed open, and in flash a blue haired female Mist Jonin sprung on Zabuza, a sword in hand.

The man called the Demon of the Mist didn't even reach for his sword, before three Anbu had cut the female off, and blocked her strike. One of them was the head of the Anbu black ops, Ryu. While the other two were merely running interference, Ryu had stopped her full-length chakra conductive katana, with a reverse gripped tanto knife. The water chakra in the sword was reinforcing the blow, but the woman's arms were shaking with strain, while Ryu's was solid, and still.

"Miss Jin Subaki of Mizugakture, I expect an explanation for your actions." The sheer weight of those words bore down on the Jonin leader as she considered what she'd just done. Zabuza was playfully thinking of all the instant death penalties this bitch had just ringed up. There was a good reason he didn't resist after all. Sneak into a foreign village's headquarters, check. Attack a guest of a foreign village during a declared ceasefire, check. Stage an assault near the enemy leader, check. And of course, being caught doing any of them. Obviously if you couldn't be held responsible it didn't matter, but this woman must have been hoping that Zabuza was meeting with some lesser flunky.

The young ice princess had remained passive throughout the event. A pair of throwing needles safely tucked away just in case the woman did get too far in attacking her master. Her eyes remained completely passive as she watched the woman's sweat begin to build on her brow. She could feel her master's excitement. He was rarely in the position to watch his enemy squirm like this anymore. In fact Zabuza was watching for another reason, his excitement was to keep himself from bowling over and throwing up. It was a insanely focused killing intent technique the older man was using. One that had probably made many Jonin crumple in front of the old geezer like burning paper. Even he, the demon of the mist, a specialist in killing intent no less, was an amateur in comparison to this level of power. To Zabuza, this was more than a mere form of interrogation, but also a show of force to himself. The swordsman now saw the golf of power between himself and the older man. While he was unafraid to face a jinchuriki like the Mizukage, that was merely because they had limitations that were well known. Even the strongest of them had notable limits. A Kage like this…he had no limitations other than his age, and those limits would be surpassed by an incredible amount of experience.

"I-I w-wasn't th-thinking…p-please…" The ninja could hear the subtle sound of her choking on her own bile, as Ryu calmly relented, and she keeled over. Falling to her knees, her head held up by her hair to look at the usually kind man, by his Anbu. Now she could see the commander that lived through three world wars, and several smaller ones. The scion of the Sarutobi Clan, and the undeniable greatest genius of his generation hidden behind the eyes of a weak old man. The Professor, Shinobi no Kami, and she wondered at her own fate. Would this spark a war…how she could have been so reckless, she just couldn't understand it. Something…was…wrong.

Sarutobi's eyes softened as he shook his head and he waved the guards off. The Anbu backed away instantly and without question. Zabuza and Haku awaited her punishment. "Let her go. If, however, such an attempt is held against one of my guests again…I will hold you, your team, and the Hidden Mist responsible." The Jonin Subaki nodded and with a second nod from the old man, she uncorked a flask and disappeared in a splash of water which quickly evaporated.

"Now, down to business."

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Naruto was frowning, this test had a lot more to it than the dark haired proctor gave out openly. Naruto knew that, as he looked to his paper and the quickly fading time limit. He wondered how they would deal with this. Naruto needed to think, he concentrated on the rules of being a shinobi. Then he opened his eyes and smiled a bit as he quickly jotted something down, hoping that it would be enough. There was a strange feeling in the room, like the world was being pressed on. Naruto realized it as well now. The proctors were using the power of their own killing intent to make them nervous, and while surrounded by enemies…this…this was an interrogation! The real test was seeing what information a trained shinobi would give up.

Sadly Naruto was surrounded by two foreign ninja, and unable to even communicate with his team the revelations he has garnered. The smile of the female proctor was even a bit more distorted now that he knew what Sasuke's sister was up to. She was loving it, and enjoyed every second of the genin's fear. Naruto's face remained impassive, but he could feel a weak, but still existent killing intent from the Iwa girl. He merely ignored it, and continued to stare forwards. Locking eyes with Sasuke's sister, and waiting. Two minutes and twenty three seconds remained.

Sasuke had already written down his secrets, and watched as several teams were ejected as their papers burst into flames. One poor sap had been caught in the flames, he was put out quickly. He knew his…sister…was devious and more than a bit sadistic but this…this was insane! She was using interrogation techniques on children. Not that she was in charge at all. Most wouldn't have noticed, but Sasuke's eyes were the sharpest in the room. Well, the Hyuuga may have noticed it as well. The chalkboard was a two-way mirror. The scarred man was watching from behind, whispering orders into a microphone.

He had to wonder.

How many people in this room were plants, merely fakes meant to fail. There had to be some, if not all of the teams that had failed. It was more of a scare tactic than anything, and Sasuke being himself had no fear of such methods. Failure in such a basic test was unacceptable, so their attempts were foiled from the start. He was a scion from a noble house, and even before the massacre had been told how to deal with interrogation. The Post massacre Sasuke, well he merely seemed bored.

Sakura was only a bit worried, and far more frightened, than her teammates, but her own intellect allowed her to figure out the test. Well, at least what she should answer, her greater worry was for Naruto. He wasn't quite so book smart…

Time remaining: Two minutes

[_Community Jonin Lounge_]

Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai were all relaxing together, during the exam in the lounge. This lounge was open to Jonin, and Chuunin Sensei only, and foreigners were no exceptions at least during the exams. "Still to think that she is working under Ibiki, and a member of his group…its…its…horrible, at least for Genin." Asuma stated with a slightly spooked tone. Kurenai blinked a bit before sighing.

"This is one of those, 'You'd understand if you weren't a rookie' things isn't it?" Asuma nodded a bit, while Gai held up a finger in an appraising manner.

"Uchiha Mikoto, and Morino Ibiki. The two most dementedly skilled interrogators in Konoha, with Mitarashi Anko as a close second. Those two will break them if they aren't careful. Luckily my Genin burn with the Flames of Youth!" Asuma and Kurenai looked to Kakashi, who was as usual reading from his orange book lazily.

"What about you Kakashi? Are you worried for your Genin?" Kurenai asked the silent shinobi, who sighed a bit and closed his book before giving his fellows a bored look.

"I am more worried for the proctors…" at this all three of the other Jonins could feel the sweat on the back of their heads at the silver haired pervert's comment. "…especially if they push Naruto's buttons…he's been showing a _shocking_ amount of growth." He smiled at the implication, as he returned to his book.

Across the lounge, far from the four sensei, a teenage blond woman smiled and adjusted her Kumo headband, before whispering with a slight purr "Hmmm…interesting words from a famous lightning specialist…purrrrhaps I should look into this…Naruto…"

Above on the roof, an older man with an Iwa symbol headband, and a jonin outfit smiled as the vibrations from the words spoke beneath him continued to scroll across the pages of his scrolls, and he merely closed them up, and stood before deciding to move off. He wanted to learn more about this boy, and his sensei as soon as he could. Moments later, a handsome civilian was walking down the street, scrolls tucked under his arms.

[_Chuunin Examination: Written Testing Hall_]

Naruto watched as the last few second dwindled away.

"Alright! Now for the fun part. All of the readings will be recorded, and sent to your superiors, so if you don't want your slip to be read, and your secrets exposed to not only strangers, but your peers…you can walk out now." Mikoto's smile widened and several people paled, including many of the veterans. Teams started dropping left and right. What started at sixty teams dwindled down to twenty-five. Each teams dropped out only moments after Mikoto's eyes locked with theirs. Until she locked eyes with Naruto.

It didn't take long for the impromptu staring contest to get on the blonde's nerves. "Look! I am not going to back down! Anyone who does is just a stupid coward! So get on with it!" His cool slowly returning, but both of the girls at his sides shivered, their hair standing on end, as if they'd been hit by a blast of static. Looking around, Mikoto sighed a bit before speaking.

"Fine, the rest of you pass my test. I won't explain the reasons behind it. If you can't figure it out then you don't need me to explain it…you won't live too much longer." She smiled as the glass window to her right exploded showering her with glass, as a beaming purple haired woman looked up at all the Chuunin hopefuls, a banner appearing behind her and slamming into the walls to reveal 'Second Test Head Proctor Mitarashi Anko!'

"Listen up you maggots! Don't get too comfy, because as of right now the second test begins. Follow me, if you can…to the next test. On your feet! Move!" she shouted playfully and leapt back out the window, with all of the Genin chasing her like no tomorrow. Leaving Mikoto blinking in confusion as she stepped out from behind the banner.

"Anko-senpai needs to learn to read the mood, eh? Ibiki-sama?" she asked as the man appeared in the room, and watched as Mikoto picked up a single page and read the contents, before laughing. "I am Uzumaki Naruto. Affliation Konoha. The greatest secrets are those that are most obvious, eh proctor-chan?" she read outloud, causing Ibiki to smirk, and think on the blond prankster. "Seems some things aren't going to change…but hopefully he…can change Sasuke." She whispered before turning to look at her division leader.

"Hokage-sama wants a status report." The clipped words of Ryu filled the room as the man stepped from the shadows, and collected the gathered papers from the other proctors. The Anbu Commander nodded before disappearing, and the proctors headed off.

[_Location Unknown_]

Five shadowy figures sitting around a round table remained silent, looking towards the head seat, each of them were obviously not really there, as the faint light was cast right through them. At long last the final seat was filled. The figure sitting there seemed to shimmer for a moment, as a kanji appeared in front of each of them. The symbols for 'Eye', 'Soul', 'Power', 'Rage', 'Perfection', and in front of the final figure 'Moon'.

"I see we have all gathered. The most powerful, and vile of warriors gathered here, to serve a greater purpose and the promise of together attaining our true goals." The five figures inclined their heads at 'Moon's words.

"My plans, will soon come to fruition, and our plan will be one step closer to completion." The figure under 'Power' spoke with a slight hiss.

"Yes, soon enough the Council of Six will complete the 'Moon Eye Plan' that you two came up with, and the world will be in our hands." 'Perfection' spoke with a slight chuckle of madness at the end, as the image's red eyes seemed to back the insane expression, even as they wisked back and forth between 'Moon' and 'Eye' "Though, aren't you occupied 'Power'? How are you here?" the hissing chuckle that filled the chamber made several of the images shiver.

"I have methods. Worry not."

"Regardless, the plan will not be finished soon, and each of our stages are becoming delicate. We will be unable to contact each other for some time. Stick to the plan. 'Moon' will contact us if an emergency is brought up that could affect anything. These next couple years will be very important." 'Eye' said and with a collective nod the other figures disappeared leaving only 'Moon' and 'Eye'

"They are useful pawns, but they will catch on if they are given too much." 'Eye' spoke cautiously.

"I know, but their importance is only one of temporal importance. They are replaceable." 'Moon' said with a calm dispassion.

"I have sources that mention some events of singular importance have been occurring throughout the lands. I cannot yet discern the importance of them, but I will."

"Very good, our plan will soon have the world in our hands." With that 'Eye' winked out, and 'Moon' merely chuckled.

"Soon, Soon. The world will be under my hand, and none will be able to come within my sphere again to challenge me again, such impotence will make them sick…" The undisguised voice of the divine being whispered, and in an instant her was gone, the world shifting to show that the room never even existed at all.


	14. Chuunin Exams: Rising Nightmares

Anko frowned as she watched the group of Genin enter the forest. Her part as proctor already almost over, as she rested on the makeshift bench that she had been using since the collection of wavers was completed. Still, so few noticed how the number of applicants had been padded out. It was a bit surprising, that probably so few of these supposed Chuunin wanna-be babies noticed. She was one of the first 'teams' to be eliminated from the exams, as with most of her fellows who joined she'd created a team using genjutsu, and monitored it, and when her name came up, had the paper burst into flames, and then walked out, usually screaming and cawing like maddened pigeons. It was on her way out that she'd seen the blonde again. His eyes held such a great dispassion even as his eyes looked to hers for a moment.

Anko's hand unconsciously slid up to her shoulder and cupped the sealed mark on her shoulder. His stare. It reminded her of her old sensei's and that wasn't a very good thing. She'd heard from Lord Jiraiya that Orochimaru may have been spurred on by despair until it twisted him into what he became. She wouldn't let that boy; become herself, or her sensei. Not for any more of a noble reason, than her own needs to see the end of that legacy with her own hands. Still, something was different. In his eyes, there was something more. That was what intrigued her the most. She sighed and lay across the stacked flat boards of wood, a dango stick still in her mouth.

"Shit, I think this brat is getting to me…"

"Mitarashi-sama!"

"Hmm?" she looked to one of the Chuunin proctor assistants.

"We found something, we got something on camera, that you should come see." The man moved off to take a hidden path to the tower, which Anko lazily followed.

"Damned Chuunin, so easy to impress." Her thoughts trailed back to the gathering of applicants, and the grim look in those blue eyes. It was unsettling. A small blush worked up on her cheeks. She hated thinking of one of her old childhood crushes, mixed with her sensei. It was even scarier to mix in the power of the Kyuubi. The boy looked so much like the Blonde Hokage that she once wondered at a relation; however it seemed that the process of sealing caused the physical familiarity. It was a damned shame; still something seemed off about it all. She shrugged however, as she slipped beneath the earth and into one of the subterranean tunnels…the tunnel system originally made by her sensei, and his summon, Manda.

"I really hate these caves…"

[_Shinigami's Realm_]

Shin frowned as he found that something was shifting, not in the mortal world though. As if the immortal realm was shifting, as if making room for a new star, a new divinity. He shook his head a bit and paid attention again to his sparring with Kushina. It was still easy for him. It was comparable to a Kage training with a newborn, but he did admit she was learning quickly. He frowned a bit as he felt a tug in the back of his head. A powerful ritualistic call to him, one that was rather uncommon, and recently became unique to one individual.

'Ah. Hidan is making sacrifices to me again today.' The Shinigami had many names in the mortal world, as his sphere was quite broad he was worshiped for multiple things. One of his many guises was a devilish divinity. Jashin. Shin sighed as he stabbed into Kushina's chest straight through her heart. She collapsed on the ground and Shin shook his head, his blade in her breast.

"Perhaps we should just quit. Even at your best I just don't see any…" it was only a moment later that Shin was wrapped tightly in chains forged of chakra, and a blade pointed at him in a threatening manner, before stabbing through his neck. The Shinigami smiled devilishly. "…very good. Perhaps this is worthwhile…" he spoke as the wrapped up Shin dissipated into smoke. "…now that you can kill my clone."

Kushina groaned in annoyance, and watched as her wound healed before getting ready to fight again. Shin was however far more than impressed. His shadow clones were far stronger than she figured. In three short years…she'd come so far, even if it did take trickery, and the immortality of a soul.

It was a moment later that the Shinigami's tanto extended into a full sized katana, and he placed it over his shoulder, letting the sword rest across his shoulders. "Good, Good. I think it's time that you see what the weapon of a god can really do…" Kushina, for all of her bravery and skill, felt like a deer in front of a katon jutsu.

"Shit."

[_Forest of Death_]

Naruto merely frowned as he looked down at the fallen group of rain ninja that had attempted to strike out at them. They had a good plan, but their skills were too inferior to the three shinobi of Team Seven. Naruto held up the Earth scroll with calm disdain, before it disappeared into his storage seal. "We failed to gain a heaven scroll. We must continue on," he stated with the most calm, dispassionate tone. With that, his two companions leapt off continuing forwards. Naruto however held back for a moment, before looking up to the tree line and frowning before disappearing as well.

From far above, a branch seemed to slither into human form, as a female Grass ninja, smirked down at the spot that the three Konoha Genin had once stood, and shook her head. "Hmm…how interesting…ku ku ku…" she whispered under her breath as she considered all the facts, and decided to move forwards with her plan. Moments later the three unconscious Rain Genin disappeared as a large snake slithered away, licking its scaly lips, thankful for the snack its master gave it before its mission.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Sarutobi sighed as he put his head in his hands, and thought about what he'd been told only moments before. The very thought of it all was tragic enough, but still he had little he could do for now. He offered them a temporary place to rest, in a high security hotel that would be used by diplomats, and let them leave while he dealt with the information they'd given him. With a deep sigh, he felt the calm chakra of a familiar man slip into his room.

"So, did you learn anything of use, sensei?"

"I learned the details, the important ones at least. I fear that he may need your help more than ever now." The aged Kage muttered as he looked to Jiraiya, with tired eyes. "This news…it will cause the poor boy more troubles. I need you to teach him, during his month of training before the third part." The Toad Sage blinked.

"You seem certain he will pass the second part."

"I am, I can see it in his eyes, and in his heart. The Will of Fire will not let that boy rest without pushing the limits of shinobi to the breaking points. I am certain there is much about the young lad that even he couldn't begin to grasp, much less anyone else. I just hope we can guide him to the right path…" The look of worry was one that Jiraiya recognized, and he could feel his skin grow clammy.

"You don't think he could…"

"If pushed down the road…I fear so."

"I see. I will talk to a friend of mine or two. I'll make sure that it all works out for the best." With that the sage disappeared back out the window.

"I am so sorry…so sorry." The old man gasped a bit before reaching into his drawers and gulping down a pill, and circulating the effects with his chakra. It took only moments for him to recover, clutching his chest. "I need…your guidance…my successor…or I fear for your legacy."

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Minato sighed a bit as he could feel the gloom within the mind of his son, and the growing darkness was beginning to choke the influence he could give to the boy, and enhanced the power of the Kyuubi over him. Even with their agreement, Minato knew the fox wouldn't be subservient forever. If an opportunity presented itself the fox would happily use it to escape. The Yellow Flash was calmly scribbling on a scroll an idea that had been forming in his mind, based on his own, and his son's theories. It was interesting when they had been basically having a back and forth, but now he felt isolated in his own son's mind. The source of all this trouble being a girl with whom he held powerful feelings for…and her early death.

Minato looked to the massive cage with a frown. He'd learned far more about his onetime foe in the passing weeks, and now he was certain that the masked man's plans would darken the world, and Naruto was the only one who had a chance to defeat him. Minato shivered a bit however, as he considered a few of the demon's offers but shook his head to clear his thoughts. Time was not yet so tight, he had time to work, and he would need every bit of his power, when the time came. He then rolled the scroll around his arm, and the ink seemingly jumped onto his skin, burning through the scroll, which then faded away.

He stood and calmly shifted his legs, feeling the power of all twelve seal arrays merging together and leaving behind only a single mark on his sternum. "One step finally completed. Only fifteen more steps to go."

The Kyuubi's eye didn't leave the small human, as it rested in the darkness of its cell. Plotting, thinking, and waiting; things an eternal being had no trouble with. It's time would come.

[_The Forest of Death_]

Naruto frowned a bit as he shifted his stance ever so slightly, before being literally blown off of his footing by an overwhelming hurricane of wind. His seals designed to assist him in overcoming wind techniques, never even got the chance to activate, before Naruto was blown from the tree tops, and straight into the awaiting mouth of a massive serpent as if it was perfectly planned, even as he tumbled in he was making hand signs.

Sakura and Sasuke on the other hand barely held on, and didn't even have the time to think before they were crushed under the most overwhelming feeling of dread either could imagine. Sakura began choking, as if strangled by the sheer power of the vile intentions, and even Sasuke seemed shaken. Sakura's eyes were glazing over, as the shadow of a man, with green eyes leaned over her a glowing wicked smile on visible on its black form, its hand clutching her throat. Sasuke shivered as he remained as composed as he could but his resolve was being over whelmed. This devilish feeling made Zabuza's look like a puppy.

[_Battle Theme: _Orochimaru's Theme_- _Naruto OST[

"Oh, you must be strong…Sasuke-kun. Most would try to kill themselves when I use this much of my desire to kill. Like your friend there…" Sasuke's eyes couldn't look away from the woman that seemed to just raise herself from the branch, as if it was liquid. He was however, able to glance over to Sakura, to see her viciously strangling herself, before his gaze was ripped back to the woman, barely able to recognize the Grass headband. "She must be terrified of strangulation. That tends to be how they die…to the things they fear most…" the woman's smile made Sasuke's stomach turn as he swallowed, images of Itachi flashing before his eyes.

"You-" just talking seemed to drain almost all of Sasuke's strength. He was petrified, and something was crawling on his skin, something was wrong. His vision was overwhelmed, as a figure with the reddest eyes, and grimmest of looks appeared before him. Sasuke wanted to run, something primal was telling him to flee, but he was too frozen to even blink.

"_Foolish little brother. Your hatred has grown so weak. You do not even possess the power to defeat this girl? This Genin? You will never reach me…"_ It was a flash of movement, but Sasuke saw it, the blade of his brother, heading straight for him. In the quickest of motions, Sasuke was able to break from the rooted spot, and swung into the shadow of his brother. Instead of striking skin, he clashed blades with the surprised Grass Genin. Sasuke's eyes glowing with the power of the Sharingan, and backed by his own hatred he had freed himself.

"I…_**will kill you**_." He spoke, words dripping with hatred, before suddenly disappearing from view, much faster than the eye of a normal person could have caught. The woman however, was not normal person. The lapse in attention was enough to break Sakura from the killing power of the girl's aura. Even so Sasuke's next attack was much quicker than either of the Kunoichi could properly reaction to, as a trio of fireballs crashed into the tree limb, exploding right on the Grass Genin, blowing Sakura back off the limb with a scream of terror, and right into Sasuke's arms, which cause a squeal of happiness. Sasuke paid it no mind, standing on the side of the massive branch, looking up at the explosions he had made with an appraising stare. Setting the now blushing Sakura down, and frowning.

"Sasuke-kun? What's wrong? Surely that had to…"

"Very good, Sasuke-kun." Both leaf nin's eyes widened as the voice appeared behind them and instead of looking back they charged forwards and to the top of the branch, looking back wide eyed as the woman suddenly reappeared in a blur of speed, and the mild chuckling of an insane woman.

"K-Kami…sh-she's so strong…" Sasuke gasped as the Grass Nin took three steps forwards before frowning a bit, and looking to her right, just before a burst of lightning shattered the branch causing them all to drop twenty feet down, as the branch was supported by the many roots and lower branches. The three ninja all looked to the smoking hole, were as the cloud of smoke blew away, Naruto sighed a bit, a single blonde brow raised.

"I hate snakes…when they try to eat me." He said as he looked to his companions. A sudden feeling of dread began to overwhelm him, but it only lasted a moment, when a sudden flare of his emotions completely overwhelmed the feeling.

"Ohh... Most impressive. I expect you to do better than your friends."

"Why? When together, we can just destroy you?" Naruto asked as Sasuke and Sakura each made hand signs.

"Raiton, Lightning Burst!" Naruto shouted

"Katon, Dragon's Flame!" Sasuke growled

"Magen, Reversal of Fortunes!" Sakura screamed.

"How…pointless…" the girl hissed as the techniques overwhelmed her, the genjutsu causing her directions to become completely messed up. The two powerful combat techniques released a burst of energy that shattered the branch into wooden splinters. Naruto and his team's eyes widened as they tumbled downwards. Naruto attempted to reach out with his chakra to grab onto a branch, but instead looked up, as the second massive snake he'd seen today slammed into him.

Sasuke and Sakura each landed hard, but seemed to be okay, the forest slowing their fall. Sasuke looked up and frowned. Neither he nor Sakura had been able to grab onto the tree limbs. The Grass Genin landed with a bewitching chuckle, and as Sasuke looked over his eyes widened as his red sharingan eyes caught the image of another face below the girl's first skin…like a snake. Existing in layers of deceit.

"Ku Ku Ku…" Then Sasuke gasped as the feeling of something sinking its teeth into his shoulder from behind, caught him off guard as he saw the retreating face of the Grass Genin, and left his vision blurry as the skin seemed to slip from her face.

"W-What?" Sasuke gasped, holding his neck, before collapsing, as his mind faded out into darkness. Sakura groaned a bit, before noticing that the Grass girl was melting into mud, a massive serpent, leaning over her. Her green eyes clenched shut, as a ferial growl caught her attention.

"I-I got it…Sakura-ch-chan…" the grunting voice of Naruto said as Sakura looked up to see the blonde boy collapsing, cut, bruised, and a massive serpent collapsing into massive hunks of meat before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"N-Naruto?" she asked as she went to the boy's side and looked to see Sasuke in a similar state and clenched her jaw, as she picked the two boys up as best she could and bolted for cover.

[_End Theme_]

[_Forest of Death-Above_]

[_Battle Theme:_ When You're Evil- Voltaire]

Orochimaru sighed as he shook his hand a bit. That Kyuubi brat's power was almost too dangerous, while he attempted to keep his plans a secret. The Snake Sannin, smiled as he remembered how the boy looked up to the snake he'd summoned as a momentary distraction, a hefty one, but necessary. His seal disrupting the boy's seal, and unless one of the other two children happened to be a seal master, or laughably enough, the boy himself was, then he'd most likely find himself out of the Snake's hair.

He calmly took a few more steps before pausing and smiling "Ah, Anko-chan. I didn't expect you so soon. I see my poor little victims have been found?" Anko's snarl only grew as she didn't bother with the banter, but gasped as the feeling of her old master's gaze washed over her, kunai tumbling to the ground.

"Interesting, isn't it…those long missing feelings?" he asked with a teasing hiss. Anko's cheeks flushed, she could feel him…he wasn't just near, or around her. He was inside her! She could hear his voice, whispering in her mind, dominating every fiber of her being with the ease most would us to flip a switch.

"Ah!" she screamed, her eyes watering up as she looked up at her old sensei, as his hand tighten around her neck.

"I think you need a lesson, my dear student. Shall sensei teach you how to scream again?" his eyes seemed to darken for a moment before he felt something in the air, and licked her cheek from afar causing her to groan "Oh…you are getting better, my precious serpent." He chuckled as he merely swept her around to block the strike from the Anbu now standing before him.

"You…" Orochimaru's eyes noticed the symbol on the man's armor, and mask. Only a high ranking Konoha shinobi would be able to notice the importance of them. The symbols of the Anbu Commander, but to Orochimaru that wasn't something to worry on. "…came with the current Ryu? How quant!" he chuckled as he dropped her to the branch and lazily drew a kunai.

"Though, I am surprised your skills are so low, that I was able to notice you so soon…" The Anbu merely shifted his stance to one unfamiliar to Orochimaru, and remained still. The Snake was wary and ready to strike in an instant. No Anbu, no matter how skilled would interrupt his fun…

"Who said…" Ryu began in his usual neutrality and Orochimaru imagined a smirk on his lips which made the Sannin stretch his own face into a disturbingly vile grimace. "…I was hiding?"

"Orochimaru!" the voice of the fallen purple haired woman screamed, bringing her hand up and grasping the older man's hand and making a single hand sign using the Sannin's own hand, and smiling. "Kinjutsu! Twin Snake Sacrifice!" she shouted as a pair of serpents seeped from her sleeves, and she shivered as she saw her own death coming for her, alone in her old Sensei's eyes. The two snakes each were lowering their mouths to the wrists of her and her one time master.

"So vile…to wish to sacrifice yourself to kill you beloved Sensei…" the hissing smile on Orochimaru's face worried Anko, even as she felt the fangs pierce her skin. "You are just like me," he whispered into her ear before turning to mud in her arms, and a moment later an explosion threw her into the air as his clone exploded. Anko's reactions dulled by her master's aura weren't enough to catch her as she slammed into a tree trunk, hard enough to cut her armored coat, and mesh armor. Digging into her flesh.

"Now, I am afraid you must die…my beloved apprentice," Orochimaru's hiss this time was obviously pitying, as he leaned over the fallen kunoichi and barely placed a hand onto her neck before back peddling as a sword cleared the space he was once using.

"Truly fearless…aren't you." The Sannin hissed at the Anbu who merely made a single handed seal in response, standing over Anko's fallen form.

"Art of Darkness, Twin Shadow Slash." The Anbu leapt forwards and a pair of dark crescents slammed into the trees to either side of the snake-like shinobi, who hissed annoyed by the act. It was an obvious move, using such a high level, unique technique. It was one that the Anbu would recognize instantly to follow to this point and not even Orochimaru wished to reveal too much now, especially with some of the ninja nearby being quite capable, and the information that he now had on the Anbu Commander. His identity now revealed.

"We…will meet again. Anko-chan, Ryu-kun." His eyes never leaving the pair before he disappeared completely into the trees.

"W-Why did you come? I-I said I would handle it alone." Anko asked from the Anbu's side, and shivered as the mask figure looked to her wounded body with a professional's gaze.

"It is my job." He stated as he easily moved the wounded kunoichi, and made another single handed seal before disappearing into smoke. A shadow stepped out and smiled before adjusting its glasses, and moving on to the next objective, having only been standing mere feet from the place Anko had just been. Three vials of blood in hand each labeled with different names, as the silver haired shinobi disappeared into the woods.

"This is only the beginning of your despair."

[_End Theme_]

{Edited to Add Themes}


	15. Chuunin Exams: Sanity's Corrosion

[_Starting Author's Note_]

Within this chapter is a rather, close, dark subject. I will remind you that I mentioned that this would have some dark themes. This is one of them, that will come up. I hope that this story remains enjoyable for you all.

[_Story Start_]

Sakura was panting heavily as she collapsed back into her temporary shelter, covered as best she could in her condition. She was almost completely drained of chakra, and her body was burning in pain. She'd set up some traps, and camouflage netting to cover her location, but she knew that if someone really wanted to get in it wouldn't take too much.

She rubbed her arms a bit trying to shake some of the fatigue out of her body, as she looked over to her teammates, each one having been left unconscious by the harsh opposition of the Grass Genin. She looked over the pair again and frowned. Sasuke, and Naruto, both knocked out. She felt her cheeks flush a bit, remembering Naruto's words. He hadn't added '-chan' to her name since…

She couldn't remember, but it was weird. Naruto's defending her from that snake…how did he do it? It happened in an instant; even if he was so cut up…she didn't think anyone could have done that so easily. Except, maybe Sasuke or Kakashi… She looked back down to her crush and blushed.

She wondered…if she could…

She leaned over Sasuke a bit, taking in the boy's sleeping features, and shivered. She'd had a chance to sleep in the same camp as him before, but…never quite so…solitary as this. Not as close…she never saw his face. Her cheeks reddened as she leaned closer to the resting boy. She shivered a bit more as she was only inches from his face, she couldn't close her eyes, hungering to do it, to kiss her beloved Sasuke, now that she finally had a chance.

At the last moment she paused, her mind finally weighing what she was doing against the possible consequences. Something in the back of her mind however screamed for her to close those last desperate inches. The moment she did, a feeling of guilt, anger, and most of all lust filled her small body, as a small but defiantly illicit moan grumbled from her throat. Her kiss deepening with the unconscious avenger, to one far more than she'd meant in her own chaste hope.

Unknown to her, and obviously to the two unconscious boys, a dark, foreboding aura had begun to cling to the pinkette and the raven haired Uchiha. She didn't stop however, the darker it became, the stronger, and hungrier her desires became. She felt like she was in a dream, even as she pulled away, a single line of saliva connecting her tongue to her beloved's lips, her tongue hanging a bit out of her mouth, in a somehow more than merely erotic way, her green eyes hungrily looking over the boy, her hands one now tucked under her shoulder, and then other gripping and fondling the young Uchiha's crotch as she began to wince.

Her neck was burning, as her vision blurred a bit. She shivered a bit as she wondered what was happening for only a moment before she collapsed onto him, the dark aura dissipating almost immediately. For a single moment, from besides the pair a flicker of darkness bounced from the fallen blond.

From outside a single rabbit peaked its head in before skittering off, wrapped around its tail the symbol of the Stone Village, Iwagakure.

[_Tower of Death: Medical Ward_]

Several Jonin were gathered looking over their fallen comrade, Anko Mitarashi with worried expressions on a few faces, and others seemed cold or indifferent. The medics were working as hard as they could, though more than one seemed to have a forced expression on their faces. The presence of the Hokage and his left hand made that fact clear. To fail in saving the quickly dying snake-user was forbidden. Especially with a couple of her close friends near-by it was just not a wise choice.

"Ryu, I want a report. What happened out there?" the Sandaime's voice was as cold as ice, as he watched his best assassin specialist outside of the Anbu being pieced together, his hands clenched tight around his pipe. These next words would need to be tactful, and soft.

"Orochimaru happened, sir." Sadly Ryu was anything but tactful and soft. "It seems he returned to create chaos, as is his specialty." Sarutobi almost snapped his pipe in two as he closed his eyes, hopping the man was wrong. He knew, deep down, that he wasn't however.

"I see, and his current status?"

"He left merely because he wished to. I was unable to harm him, nor was Mitarashi-san. He did seem to have done something to her before my arrival however." Sarutobi watched as a couple of the medical nins flinched as if they were now working on a bomb before continuing.

"List of possible outcomes?"

"Unknown. Anything, but Orochimaru would never do something halfway if he can prevent it. This is the beginning of something. I will look into it." Sarutobi nodded and dismissed the captains.

"For now, this will be regarded as a preexisting injury acting up. Under no circumstances should any of our guests learn of the danger. Yet." Sarutobi's eyes linked with each of the Jonin's before nodding as all but Kakashi left. The older man turned to his right hand and smiled weakly.

"Kakashi-kun…I need your help with Anko-chan. I need you to watch over her, and if she is stable enough…help her. If you find yourself unable…find someone else." Kakashi merely nodded a bit, looking down to the fallen purple haired woman with a frown before looking to the window, and scowling even more. Sarutobi took his leave, as the medics followed exhausted; Anko was stable for now at least.

"Team Seven…pull through. I know you can." He whispered before taking a seat, and resuming his reading.

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Within the depths of Naruto's mind, a single sliver of darkness seemed to coalesce into solid form, a single serpent of shadows, with eyes that shinned with hatred. It slowly began to swim through the darker waters of the boy's mind, only rising occasionally. "Ku ku ku, silly boy…" the snake hissed in the voice of the Sannin "…soon you will be mine…"

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

'_You…will never escape…this is where you belong.'_

Sakura was shocked away as the sound of a single rock moving, caught her wary attention. Not that she was in much fighting shape. She could see through the camouflage tarp, a trio of Iwa nin walking towards her little cave. Each was dressed in a white outfit, two in loose fitting tops and long pants that nearly dragged the ground. The third, and the obviously odd one out, was in a tight fighting jumpsuit, with fabric barely stretched across his torso. "So basic." The lead male said, his hair was long and tied back in a dark colored pony tail, as he merely snapped his finger, and several of her traps seemed to set themselves off. "As if, this academy basic stuff would even work on us."

"Come now, Zu-Zu." A nearly identical looking female said, as she brushed some of her own hair from her eyes. The other male, a white haired boy remained silent, hanging back watching the dark haired twins walk towards the leaf nin, that had taken their interest. Akiru and her brother Zukiru, the beautiful siblings of Iwa. Or as the golden eyed boy knew their other nickname. The sisters of Sky and Stone. Though one was really just an effeminate boy. Even he couldn't tell them apart while they dressed in their baggy clothes. Only Akiru's feminine figure and body gave them away. "Are you coming? Jura?"

The golden eyed Jura's gaze met the silver eyes of Akiru and he shook his head, and she understood. They noticed the other team watching them with a simple easy. Zukiru ripped the tarp down, to see Sakura straddling a still unconscious Sasuke, and Naruto calmly sleeping besides them. The boy's features turned to disgust as he saw this, and looked back to his sister without even a word, she spun to look at the leaf nin's former hidden resting place. Sakura was too stunned to even move much more than she already had.

"Disgusting. What a nasty skank this Konoha had grown. First the blond and now this one…" Sakura's eyes widened a bit as she shakily stood, and she clenched her teeth.

"Blond? Do you mean…Ino?" Zukiru blinked before smiling in a violent manner, quickly cloned by his sister.

"Ah, that was her name? I didn't bother to ask, though after a couple of hours, she didn't care what we called her…eh?" His silver eyes locked onto Sakura's green, and she felt her body begin to heat up, she was sweating in her clothes.

"Look Zu-Zu, she's already blushing, I wonder what slutty things she must be thinking, at her age even…" Akiru's indignant tone seemed to make Sakura's blush only grow darker on her cheeks as she pulled off her jacket, and felt the cool air for a moment, before the heat seemed to return. Her tight sleeveless top was her last bit of clothes on her torso, and despite the building heat she refused to remove it, even as she dripped with sweat.

"W-What…did you…do to her?" Sakura asked gasping, even as Akiru giggled.

"The same as we will do to you, don't worry dear…you'll get your turn. Don't be jealous." Akiru's tongue licked at the air in front of her, and Sakura shivered even more, the images in her mind were already perverse, but now that were just twisted.

"T-This…is a…jutsu." She gasped a bit as Zukiru laughed.

"Sort of…I suppose, it's a basic one…I call it Burning Up. Mixed with my sister's own original jutsu…we are the best field interrogation unit." Sakura blinked as she shook at the cool feeling on her legs as she revealed her blue panties to the Iwa nin, unable to handle the heat, and unable to gather the energy to charge them.

"Ho ho ho! Mixed with a bit of my baby's lethargy pheromones…and…" Akiru snickered a bit as she waved a bottle at Sakura, before locking eyes with her and Sakura's body went limp, falling to her knees. "My jutsu is also eye based. I call it soul puppet, it has a weakness though, love. It can only control as much of the body as I can see, bare skin." She smiled as Sakura felt her body moving without her own will to her sleeveless top. "I will ruin you, and then we'll take your scroll. Sorry to be so rough, but I hate weak Kunoichi."

"W-Why?"

The sound of the third member, Jura walking up caught everyone's attention. "The three Sound Genin were watching us. I took care of it. No problem. They fled after seeing…_it_." The Twins smiled as Sakura's body threw off her top, revealing her bandage wrapped chest, confusing the twins.

"She wraps herself?"

"Then maybe-"

"she's not a-"

"Failing, loser-"

"fan girl, kunoichi?" they said in a quick back and forth before looking to Jura, who merely sniffed the air.

"We don't teach these lessons to true Kunoichi." He said, before turning away and waiting.

"Ah, yeah…yeah…look…we didn't really meet up with your Ino friend. We just saw a blond leaf nin girl, and decided to test you. Of course, you obviously train hard enough." Akiru started, a bit embarrassed

"So…we'll give you a scroll as payback. We are only interested in taking out true failures of the Kunoichi way." Zukiru said as he tossed a Heaven scroll to the front of the shivering Sakura, still unable to move from her nearly nude pose. She was able to see the collection of scrolls they'd already gotten. "After all team Kunoichi's reputation would be ruined if we did it to a true lady warrior." Sakura blinked a bit.

"Team…Kunoichi? But two of you are boys…" she gasped out, and Jura looked back before a loud sigh escaped the boy's lips.

"I. am. a. girl!" she said as a puff of smoke surrounded Jura and an older, and much more developed female version of the male Jura appeared. In her current outfit, little of her frame, or anything really, was hard to notice under the thin, and now stretched white material. The now overstretched fabric was showing the girl's underwear as clear as day, before in another puff of smoke the male version reappeared. "I-I just…packed…my brother's clothes…it's embarrassing…so I am using this until after this part, when I have some time to buy more."

Zukiru merely sighed "I just look like a girl…I mean…look, we're leaving. That control effect will leave you unable to move for a few minutes, then no harm done. Consider this one time mercy for our mistake!" he said before shooing his team away, and then disappearing. Sakura's body was shaking, she was too stunned to even comment or care about the fleeing stone nins, she was saved thanks to a bit of luck, and their sheer insanity.

"Dear god...I thought-"

"That those nasty shinobi were going to rape you? Well, even if they won't…we won't let your sick little dreams get away from you, don't worry." The grunting cackle sent a shiver up her spine, as three Sound Genin appeared before her, she barely bit back a cry of terror. The spikey haired boy, Zaku stepped forward slowly. He was followed by the mummy-like, as the third a girl herself, seemed almost cowed by the other two's advances, her eyes looking to the floor. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she attempted to grab at her weapon's pouch to at least defend herself but found that, on her knees, unable to move anything below her neck even an inch. Then she remembered the Stone nins parting words, and felt her eyes begin to water.

"Aww…look, she doesn't even want to try to stop us. I guess that Iwa Genin was right…Konoha really does train good sluts…" Zaku licked his lips wickedly and then glared back to Kin. "What are you doing back there, you dumb bitch? Keep her nice and quiet with your technique while we have our fun, and make sure to keep those two down too."

"R-Right away…Zaku-sama." Kin stuttered before quickly moving towards the terrified leaf kunoichi. Even as Sakura felt Zaku's tongue slide up her cheek, she could only cry out and hope for help. Even as the mummy-like Genin reset the camouflage, and for once, Sakura wished she'd never been placed on Sasuke's team, her body shaking in terror. Kin leaned close and whispered "I-I am sorry…but if I don't…they'd do the same to me." As a quiet sound seemed to dull the pink haired girl's senses…

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Naruto groaned a bit as he looked up, the stone ceiling seemed to be dripping water onto his head slowly. It made it hard to even rest, he was so sore. He rubbed his stomach and gasped in pain, as a shock filled his torso. Slowly removing his jacket, he noticed the bluntly placed seal, and shook his head. '_A five-pronged seal? How silly is that snake?'_ Naruto thought as he calmly began to draw on his fingertips after biting his other index fingertip, using his own blood as a medium. 'Five pronged seal…release!' he grunted before smiling a bit as the seal easily dissipated.

"I can't believe that was it. I expected a lot more from someone that strong…though…I think that it was mixed with something else…" he tried to think of what he remembered before passing out.

"_Dear god…I thought…_" Naruto blinked and looked around as he heard Sakura's voice; he was alone here…wasn't he?

"_That those nasty shinobi were going to rape you? Well, even if they won't…we won't let your dreams get away_." Naruto didn't recognize that voice, but the scream that followed moments later made his blood boil. He needed to get out of here…he needed to help her…

Slowly a single dark serpent snaked its way ever close to the boy, its eyes hungry as Naruto felt his body lurch forwards, before suddenly feeling empowered. "Sakura-chan!"

[_Forest of Death_]

[_Battle Theme_: Christans to the Lions- Behemoth]

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's scream caught the pair of sound boys, with their hands on their waist bands. Eyes wide as Naruto stood over them, eyes bright red and glowering at the pair. For a moment, they had thought themselves as the true demons in these woods. How wrong they were. Naruto's eyes moved to the frightened faces of Kin and Sakura, and he could feel the sources of their terror like it was something he could reach out and touch.

"**I will destroy you both. Erase you from history, before I even feel like I've begun to take my revenge…**" slowly dozens of spirals began to crawl across his skin, before the two sound nin were thrown from the hidden spot Sakura had made, each one quickly attempting to flee before the blond managed to follow. They each froze as they turned to see the dark leaf nin standing before them, snarling. "**Where did you think you were going?**"

In an instant Naruto charged forwards, and past them, each of them getting splashed with blood from the boy's palms. They were relieved for a moment. Neither had seen nor felt something…something so…evil in their lives. "**Blood Seal: Chains of Perdition.**" Naruto growled as he whipped his hands forwards throwing them to the ground at his feet, a chain of blood wrapped around each of their necks.

"F-Fuck this! And fuck you! Decapitating Airwaves!" The power from Zaku's hand slammed into Naruto and kicking up the dirt around him. As the chains slackened he sneered and looked to Dosu, who merely looked forwards frightened.

"**Naruto…are these two the ones…who did that to Sakura?**" the grim voice of Sasuke made both boys shiver in terror as they could see the dark aura pulsing around him. From within the small hiding place, Kin had thrown one of the blankets over the leaf kunoichi, and looked over the massive tree's roots to see the fight. Naruto nodded, as Sasuke shook his arm a bit, as if stretching a cramp, the scratches from the powerful air blast on his sleeves.

"D-Don't…you…want to stop them? Your…team?" Sakura gasped sobbing a bit, even with the threat gone, she was still shaking.

"No. they deserve this."

"**Let's finish this then…**" with a wicked of smile Sasuke disappeared, and Naruto pulled the chains forwards. Both sound boys fell to the ground at the blonde's feet.

"**Raiton! Lightning Crash!**" "**Katon! Dragon Fire Blast!**"

The pair screamed in unison, as their jutsu began to gather, leaving both boys shivering in terror as the killing intent of two darkened warriors washed over them.

"No! Stop this!" Sakura screamed before running forwards, a blanket barely covering her as she rushed to the defense of the two fallen Sound Genin, both of the male team seven members eyes were wide as they held their powers back.

"**Move! Or you'll get caught in it as well!**" Sasuke however, wouldn't wait before he was about to fire she screamed.

"No! This isn't you…this is wrong! What does it mean if you kill them, only to become something worse…?" Sasuke seemed conflicted, even as the marks that covered him and Naruto began to fade, their jutsu needing a place to go were fired into the air, colliding into one another.

Across the forest dozens of teams looked to the sky, in more terror than awe. The power blew branches thicker than houses to the ground like twigs. In all the chaos, a couple of teams were watching the sky frowning.

"So, it is true…the Lightning God…is a Genin." One of the Kumo girls hissed in annoyance before continuing towards the goal.

[_End Theme_]

Naruto panted a bit as he felt the hatred wash away, and collapsed to his knees, even as the two sound nin felt their chains disappear, and ran away frightened. Kin too ran after them, but not without looking back as she saw Sakura crying into Sasuke's chest, who merely looked around confused, as Naruto stood and met her gaze without blinking.

"Come on, I noticed we have both scrolls now…let's get out of here." Naruto said, not even looking back to the nearly naked Sakura, his eyes closed as he could swear, he heard chuckling in the back of his mind.

[_Central Tower_]

Team Seven's arrival was not one of smiles and accolades, but rather one of somber completion. Sakura thinking on her near…

Sasuke thinking about the strange Grass Nin, and Naruto…

Well he was just not the same as he used to be anyway. He merely looked to get his team through the exam and so far succeeded. Now they had a few hours rest, and were now lined up for the next part of the exam. He didn't even smile as he noted the gathered Jonin, and frowned as they announced the preliminaries. It seemed that eleven teams had passed, and with one drop out due to injury (Kabuto) that left thirty two people. Three Iwa, Three Kumo, Three Mizu, Three Rain, Three Sand, Three Sound and Fourteen Leaf ninja in the fight. Each fight would be announced only moments before the match. Each of the groups broke up quickly to the sides, and Sarutobi took his leave. Letting the Proctor to handle the rest.

The man had yet to speak as he stepped up, and smiled. He was a handsome teen with dark colored hair, and bright green eyes. "Greetings, competitors. I am the Third Proctor. You will know me as Bayushi Kakita. I expect the best from each of you. If you disobey my orders, do not expect to do well." Then he snapped his fingers as two panels appeared behind him, seemingly from behind some of the room's furnishing.

"So now to announce the first match."

The screen seemed to blur through the names for dozens of opponents before slamming to a stop.

**Temari** (_Suna_) vs. **Tenten** (_Konoha_)

"Would Temari and Tenten please enter the stage?" Bayushi stated, but the two competitors were already there, ready to prove themselves.

"You should just forfeit…before I humiliate you panda buns." Temari goaded, and Tenten scoffed, she had her sensei and her team watching she wouldn't even consider it. Even if the blonde's taunt did annoy her.

"What? Are you scared? I heard that blonde's from Suna where cowards, but you…" Tenten sneered a bit as she felt her eye twitch a bit at the other woman's confidence. "…you're nothing more than a stupid bimbo, right?" Now Temari had enough patience to deal with insults from the enemy, but Tenten had pushed the wrong button. She hated that word. That damned 'b-word' it followed her like a fucking puppy that you never wanted.

"I. Will. Ruin. You." She hissed, looking to the proctor, who merely sighed.

"Begin." Not waiting for the dark haired girl's first attack she merely flicked her massive war fan and threw her across the ring and into the wall. She continued to pound poor Tenten into the wall like she was nothing more than a rag doll. Once she was finally allowed to drop, did Temari decide to finish it, using her fan like a massive club she rammed it into the falling girl's back with incredible viciousness. The resulting slam echoed through the arena. Tenten's match only lasted a mere thirty seconds. The medics quickly ran in and took the girl away.

"Winner Temari." The blonde had set quite the tone for this preliminary, as several once confident members were left shaken. "Next Match." The screen spun through again.

**Misumi** (_Konoha_) vs. **Zukiru** (_Iwa_)

"Go Zu-Zu!" Akiru shouted as the Stone nin jumped down to the floor, his eyes closed as he stepped up to his position.

"Zu-Zu? Pfft…well, no matter little lady. Just know once my jutsu is locked in…you'd better surrender…or I might kill ya!" he chuckled from behind his cloth mask, and pushed his glasses up.

"Whatever, just hurry up."

"Begin."

Zukiru didn't even move, as Misumi leapt across the small distance between them and wrapped his arms around the other Genin, with a sneer. "Game over! I warned you!" he laughed madly, but stopped as he felt the strong, unbending material within his grasp. "W-what…stone?"

"I see…you are like a constrictor snake." Misumi gasped watching in fear as when Zukiru's mouth opened to speak a pair of massive ghostly arms seemed to pull themselves from his body, and reached out to the other Genin. He did the only thing he could; wrapped around his foe as he was…he began to scream. Though no one understood what was wrong, as he collapsed to the ground foaming at the mouth. Zukiru and Misumi never even moved from their starting positions, as the stone nin scoffed.

"Weakling, if such a genjutsu was enough…then I suppose you were never supposed to make it to the end." He grumbled as he moved to exit.

"Winner Zukiru!" several voices whispered about the speed of the matches so far, and skill of the winners. Sarutobi was frowning, as he watched two of his own not only get defeated but thoroughly trounced.

"Next match." The names began to spin again and came to thunderous stop.

**Hinata Hyuga **(_Konoha_) vs. **Gaara of the Desert **(_Suna_)

[_Ending Author's Note_]

Alright, so that's the end of that chapter. If you want to know more…well it will be explained at a later time, in story! So wait for it, nothing here will be left unanswered. For now, I hope you enjoyed it. More to come soon.

[_End of Chapter_]

{Edited to Add Themes; Added Themes to Previous Chapter}


	16. Chuunin Exams: A Shadow Steps Closer

**Hinata Hyuga **(_Konoha_) vs. **Gaara of the Desert **(_Suna_)

Hinata froze a bit as she looked across the arena to the smiling face of the maddened Sand ninja. He was down in the arena in nearly an instant, while Hinata was quivering. She and her team…they had seen…the 'viciousness' of the Suna team. She looked to the people around her, until her eyes landed on Naruto, who's nearly blank stare met her's for only a moment, but in that moment a rush of confidence filled her, as if this was her one chance to prove herself.

"Hinata…you can't fight that…monster." Kiba hissed, as he looked to the proctor and then to Shino who remained silent for a moment before nodding to Hinata.

"I must do this…" she whispered before rushing down the stairs to the battle stage, she could feel the stares on her back, but no one said a word. She only felt one pair of eyes however, the eyes of her secret crush.

"Hmm, Mother would have preferred a stronger meal…but I suppose you'll do as an appetizer." The gourd became to melt into a circle around himself, as he looked at the Hyuga girl. The proctor seemed unwilling to start the match, but after a moment he stepped forwards.

"Begin."

The instant he said that, Hinata had to make her hand sign quickly to activate her bloodline, and just in time to side step a wave of sand. The wave slammed into the wall behind her cracking the solid stone. She charged forwards without much though, concentrating completely on attacking her enemy and watching out for his sand. She knew she'd only have one chance, and she had no idea if it would work.

As she slammed her hands into the powerful defensive sand barrier she forced a burst of chakra into the sand, and prayed silently. It fell to the floor before her, and she smiled a bit as she continued her charge towards the maddened Genin. "Hmm! Good try. This was too short…" Gaara growled and Hinata stopped just short of reaching her foe and pulled at her feet to go forwards, even as she felt the sand coiling up her legs.

She could feel terror building in her chest as she tried another pulse of chakra but the sand didn't seem to react at all, as the raccoon eyes boy merely tilted his hand and flinched her hand, and she was sent flying into the wall with a thunderous crack almost throwing the poor girl through the several feet of solid concrete. Hinata was barely even breathing much less able to fight, but the sand continued to pound into the wall, not letting any of the older ninja see the poor girl before suddenly flinging her to the red head's feet, blood leaking from her heavily beaten body.

"That's it! Gaara wins!" the proctor commanded by the sand didn't seem to take note of the man's words and slammed down onto Hinata with a thunderous crack spraying blood all over the area. Several of the older ninja had moved to stop it, but it was too late. Several of the Jonin wore pained expressions, but none so much as Kurenai. Even Sarutobi had looked away unable to make it in time. Yet another young ninja he had failed…

"It's okay. You can rest now Hinata." Naruto's voice spoke, making every ninja in the room look to him in shock, as he set down the heavily wounded heiress, with the gentlest of movements, before awaiting the medical ninja. No one in the room had seen him move, but he'd managed to save the girl, and it made Sarutobi smile as for a moment, he saw the man he had succeeded and past the hat onto in the blond boy. Gaara seemed a bit angry as his sand reformed a gourd and he disappeared back to his side with his eyes closed, when he opened them her was face to face with the blond. Gaara's eyes widened, as he noticed his sand hadn't moved to defend him yet. Naruto's expression was dark enough to make Gaara's own blood run cold for a single moment. "I don't know what you're playing at…but I will fight you. I will crush you for that."

"I can't wait…" Gaara chuckled matching the blonde's stare "…to taste your blood."

Naruto wasted no more words on the red head and disappeared in a body flicker back to his own side, and watched as the poor, gentle girl was taken away.

The Proctor remained silent as the names spun again.

**Ino Yamanaka **(_Konoha_)vs. **Uzisho** (_Mizu_)

Ino didn't waste any time getting down to the floor, as she looked at the Mist nin, covered like his entire team. Cloaked with armor and a mask. She didn't even waste an instant in taking a stance, and waiting for the match to start. The Mist nin seemed annoyed that he got such a weak looking opponent, it was obvious in his stance-less position.

"Do you think Ino can win?" Kurenai asked Asuma in a quiet but curious voice. The Jonin Sarutobi merely smirked a bit before looking on to the battle, and raising a brow as if to make it obvious.

"Begin."

Uzisho merely sighed and slowly drew his sword and moved to point it at the blonde "Look, I hate to fight weaklings…so I'll let you surrender." He said with a calm voice, obviously a bit modified from his equipment. What no one, friend or foe outside of Team 10 expected was for Ino to plant a single punch on the confident boy, closing the distance during the boy's cocky words, and slow drawn out movement. The blow sent him carrening into the wall, and she merely turned and walked away as if bored, leaving a stunned room, as the once though second weakest of the Konoha Rookie Nine achieved the first Konoha victory.

"I-I am…not done…yet." Uzisho groaned as Ino looked back and pursed her lips.

"Yeah. You are." As with a snap of her fingers, the boy's armor began to hiss before in a moment he burst into flames from an exploding note.

"Winner, Yamanaka Ino." The room remained stunned as the Yamanaka returned to her team, but her eyes were hardened. Sakura was staring at the nearly dead Mist nin in awe. That was her one time rival? She was happy that had changed, for now. Ino on the other hand was looking over to the other Konoha blonde with a grim look. '_Only a matter of time…_'

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Hinata had been moved into the Hospital wing along with Tenten. Misumi had only pasted out from shock and had been moved out of the tower, and released to go home. The two girl's conditions however, were horrible. Each had suffered nearly fatal damage. It would be amazing to see them recover completely, much less recover enough to become ninja again. The medic's had been joined by the highest seal master that resided in the village besides the Hokage himself. Haki the shop keeper. Though in actual ranking Haki was called a Journeyman Seal User. Konoha only possessed two certified Seal Masters. The Hokage and Jiraiya. Haki watched closely as the medics worked, and he looked at the wounds on the poor girls.

He'd seen tons of career ending wounds that were less then these. The medics were skilled, but these would require more than that. They needed the touch of a real medical prodigy. To fix these wounds they will need to see the Lady Tsunade. He didn't say anything, even as the medics finished their work as best they could and let them rest. Haki calmly walked over to Tenten, he'd come to see the girl as a bit of a granddaughter, with her love of tools, and fighting with skill, not necessarily jutsu themselves. It was his style as well.

"Old…man?" Tenten whispered as he jolted. She shouldn't be awake…

"Yes?" he said in an even voice.

"I-I can't feel…" she whispered in obvious pain to even speak, as she looked desperately to the older man, the ex-shinobi. "…my legs." Haki closed his eyes, and looked to Hinata before smiling a bit.

"I-It's just the drugs, I am sure." Tenten blinked before smiling a bit and falling into much needed sleep.

Haki turned away and stepped to the edge of the room, looking out a window into the forest beyond.

"It's horrible to lie to them isn't it?" The smooth voice of the Sound Jonin spoke from behind the ex-Anbu.

"Quite."

"I am certain that they'll be fine once the _legendary_ Tsunade returns." Haki's eyes narrowed at the way the man spoke of the Lady Tsunade, but he said nothing of it.

"Quite." He could see in the slight reflection the man made in the window.

"I see, a man of few words? Well, I suppose I will just say this…" the man leaned closer and whispered the last part "…if you don't believe in Tsunade, then if during the next month you want to see these girls get better…you could bring them to me…I am certain that my village leader could heal it." Haki's teeth were clenched as he spun to look at the man, but by the time he had turned the man was gone.

"Shit."

[_Konoha- Streets_]

Kabuto sighed a bit as he looked to his lord with a dispassionate eye. Even in the shadows of the alleyway, he felt the need to obey his master on a single knee, even if he was still standing tall. This was obviously just a shadow clone, but it still made Kabuto's blood boil.

"So, is there any other information you've been meaning to tell me?" Kabuto considered showing the Sannin his most updated cards but refrained. He didn't want to waste his lord's time, and it wasn't like any of these kids could challenge him anyway.

"No, my lord. I will be watching those you marked most closely."

"Good…ku ku ku…" Kabuto merely smirked a bit before his master continued "though…if you wanted…you know…Sasuke…his death would really hamper my plans…"

Kabuto wanted to look to his lord but knew it was too late.

He'd already gone.

[_Forest of Death: Tower_]

Anko hissed in pain as she felt the world slowly come into focus, but there was no comfort in it. Instead she found herself in a pit of absolute darkness, where only in the extreme distance could she make out the glimmer of light. She was so cold, it was like she was alone in the world. A void with nothing but herself. She decided to take stock of her situation, and frowned as she noticed that the chill could have been from her state of dress. She was in a massive dark hole, completely nude. Anko wasn't too bothered by this, as she was completely alone anyways.

"Where the hell am I?" she wondered aloud, glancing to the heavens.

"Right where a snake fucking, bitch like you belongs-" The strong words made Anko turn on a dime, seeing that she was now standing in a massive room, a bar she liked to frequent with her friends, all of whom were standing before her. Kurenai have spit the words at the purple haired woman. "…in hell." Anko took a step back, and began to cover herself up. Had she been hallucinating? Her eyes drifted to Asuma, Ibiki, Kakashi, and Mikoto. None were smiling, or even happy to see her, they all seemed to be glaring at her.

"We can't believe you betrayed Konoha, for your old master."

"What is a dirty whore like her doing here?"

"He probably threw her away again."

Anko stumbled back, as she could feel her breath hitching in her throat as she began to pant. Her friends knew she wasn't like that! Sh-She was loyal!

"W-what are you talking about? I am a ninja of Konoha!" Anko screamed

"Liar! Look what you and your 'master' did to our village!" Mikoto screamed in her teenage sounding voice and pointed out the window. Anko turned to see ruins, and even still some buildings were burning. "You're just upset he threw you away again!"

"No! No! That's not it! Orochimaru-sama would never-" Anko's eyes widened as she stopped and covered her mouth with a single hand, as she broke down into sobs collapsing to her knees. The group began to move up on her, a dangerous glint in their eyes. Anko's mind was reeling as she couldn't think straight. What had happened? She could help but feel the despair of her own failure as her once friends began to beat her down. She didn't even resist as they decided to take her in for interrogation, her body paralyzed stiff.

Unknown to Anko, her curse mark was glowing with a grim purple light.

Outside of the woman's nightmare, a single silver haired Jonin stood, having sent a shadow clone to watch the preliminaries in his place. The elite warrior frowned as he stepped over towards the fallen Kunoichi and frowned behind his mask. He looked to the shadows and merely shifted his posture, and putting his favorite book away.

"You can come out now."

"Hmm…you have improved. Kakashi-kun…" Orochimaru said with his usual devilish smile, as he looked down to the fallen kunoichi with a predatory look.

"I can't tell you…how it pains me to see her like this…weak…helpless…" the snake's eyes seemed to make Kakashi even more annoyed as he dropped his hand, taking his lightning blade stance. "…and yet still so appetizing…" Orochimaru's eyes seemed to glance over Kakashi a moment later before he began to chuckle.

"Really Kakashi? Do you think you even stand a chance?"

"I can take us both out, if I have to."

"Really? Do you think so?" Orochimaru was standing straight now, hands extended as if welcoming such a blow. Kakashi merely remained still, charging his chakra for the strike he may be forced to use.

"No, but do you think that an attack like my lighting blade will go unnoticed? I am sure, you'll find it quite difficult to make an escape…wounded…from those who would pursue you." Orochimaru's smile fell, and he nodded a bit, before chuckling again.

"True Shinobi to the end, eh?" the Snake whispered to Kakashi before a flash of light blinded the Jonin, and Orochimaru's presence disappeared. Kakashi let out a small sigh, and relaxed. Unknowing of the small white serpent now crawling up, and pressing into Anko's seal, like a shadow before being devoured by it, leaving behind a few wisps of purple smoke.

[_Forest of Death: Tower Arena_]

**Naruto Uzumaki **(_Konoha_)Vs. **Risuke** (_Kumo_)

Naruto had been watching as match after match passed him by. It was already down to the final match. It would be him, against the last member of the team from Kumo, Risuke the sole male of his team. Naruto calmly stepped down to the floor, but his eyes hadn't left the other Jinchuriki's for longer than a moment or two since his match. The Kumo boy seemed annoyed at being ignored. He was dressed, as his team was, in traditional Kumo shinobi outfits. He sighed as he pulled out a pair of scrolls, and waited for the proctor's signal.

"Naruto? Are you ready?" The proctor waited for a response, but after a moment shook his head. The kid's head was too far ahead of himself. This would be a good lesson. "Fine. Begin."

Risuke moved to open his scrolls and smiled "This will be quick Konoha sc-" he started but froze mid-sentence, and mid-motion as an overwhelming killing intent filled the room. All of the Genin felt their knees buckle, and some of the weaker genin, threw up, all of them who did had been the weakest of the losers. Only Ino seemed completely unfazed among the Genin. Even the Jonin, and Sarutobi felt something. It was ungodly, as Sarutobi realized that this was something that Naruto had been focusing between himself and Gaara the whole time. Unnoticed. Sarutobi's second warning bell went off when Naruto began to slowly approach Risuke, each step, his eyes never left the red headed Suna nin. This wasn't a fight, the Third Hokage realized. It was a challenge.

"Bayushi! Stop him! The match is over!" Sarutobi commanded, just a moment before Naruto struck with what the room expected to be a fatal blow. Risuke, hadn't even moved to defend himself, as the killing intent disappeared, Risuke collapsed, from a mere electrical tap from the blond shinobi. It left many confused, as the proctor checked the boy, while Naruto just seemed a bit dazed, as he rubbed his neck and frowned a bit.

"He's alive. Just unconscious…Winner…Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto nodded a bit as the winners slowly descended. Naruto continued to rub his neck. '_What was that feeling? It was…evil…no, not just evil…but corrupt?_'

Naruto looked as he stood apart from Gaara separated by all the winners.

"Each of you was randomly assigned a number, and thusly for the next month, you will train to fight your opponents in a single elimination tournament." Sarutobi spoke as the board began to flash to gather attention again. From above, Yugito was looking down at the blonde boy with a frown on her features. Risuke was fine, and the only member of her team to fail here. Still, she had a feeling about all of this. She would be watching him now, this Naruto Uzumaki.

"This is how it will break down…" as the screen showed the bracket for the eight matches.

'First match; **Seika** from Kumo against **Ino Yamanaka** of Konoha.'

'Second match; **Riruko** from Kumo against **Kankuro** of Suna.'

'Third match; **Temari** from Suna against **Rock Lee** of Konoha.'

'Fourth match; **Sasuke Uchiha** from Konoha against **Jura** of Iwa.'

'Fifth match; **Dosu** from Sound against **Shikamaru Nara** of Konoha.'

'Sixth match; **Neji Hyuga** from Konoha against **Zukiru** of Iwa'

'Seventh match; **Akiru** from Iwa against **Tsuki** of Rain.'

'Eighth match; **Naruto Uzumaki** from Konoha against **Gaara of the Desert** of Suna.'

There were a few glances as those gathered looked to the final match of the first round with grim portents.

Naruto merely groaned a bit, still rubbing his shoulder, as his eyes connected with Gaara's almost subconsciously, and he felt something stir in him. '_I will never allow someone…I consider my…friend to ever have to deal with pain like this again! I will get my revenge on you, Gaara!'_

Ino merely looked between the two and frowned a bit. Jura on the other hand, was smiling wildly.

There was no doubt. This wasn't just an exam anymore, it had become a war.

In the end it was Gaara who said it best "There will be so much blood!" he grinned madly, and Sarutobi shook his head sadly.

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Deep within Naruto's mind, a single serpent was slowly slithering around the boy's mind, it's very touch seemed to corrupt the water, and bring the inner darkness out of the boy. It did however, live in a very dangerous place. It was constantly on the run, from what it didn't know just yet…

[_Outside Konoha_]

A single form stepped towards his old home, with a proud smile on his face. He wouldn't be stopped for anything. He was going to see someone important to him, who he'd not seen in several years, as well as some maintenance work for him on some seals. "Don't worry sensei! I won't let anything slow me down…" an instant later he was peeking through a small hole he'd made in an instant, with a perverted giggle and the scratch of a pen.


	17. Chuunin Exams: The First Curtain Rises

Naruto frowned as he moved to leave the tower, his eyes downcast as he continued to think on the strange bloodlust that had been plaguing him for the last few days. It had hit a peak, and then he blanked out until after his match. He wondered what could be causing it. He made sure he'd be the last of the Genin to leave, as he didn't want to bump into anyway at all. He wondered back to the books he'd read and wondered at possible mundane problems. He had been stressed since…the incident, perhaps it was catching up to him? Could it be artificial? Like one of his seals malfunctioning? He'd have to do a full look over for mistakes tonight.

"Naruto. Walk with me for a moment." The calm voice of the Third Hokage made Naruto stop and look back, with ice blue eyes towards his grandfather figure. For his part, Sarutobi didn't flinch a bit; even when Naruto seemed to flinch himself when he placed a hand on his shoulder then he continued to walk with the blond towards the exit. "I need to speak with you, in my office. It's very important, but I want you to leave your tools, and ninja gear at your home before coming-"

"Hokage-sama! Patient one's condition has deteriorated!" Sarutobi's eyes widened as he immediately moved off to see. That was the current code phrase for Anko, and well, he'd checked her himself! She'd been just fine a couple hours before. What could have changed? The elder man moved like someone a third of his age, arriving to the medical room without even a heavy breath, even if he felt his age yet again. In his rush he didn't notice Naruto following him.

"What happened to her?" Naruto asked a bit dazed as he shook his head a bit trying to clear it. The Third blinked, and looked back to Naruto.

"Naruto? Why did you follow me here?" Sarutobi was not having a good day, he even watched as Naruto seemed to be trying to shake off something.

"Ordered…walk…with you." He muttered before collapsing in a heap. Kakashi moved forwards, as Sarutobi's eyes widened. There on the fallen boy's neck, was the obvious contamination of a cursed seal.

"Damn you, Orochimaru…" then he looked to Kakashi remembering the strange problems during the preliminaries "…Kakashi, go find Sasuke. See if he has something similar."

"Yes, Sir." Then Kakashi was gone, leaving the Hokage to watch over two unconscious curse sealed victims.

"Naruto…"

[_Konoha_]

Sasuke was walking calmly through the streets, even as he could feel the eyes of the people around him. They loved him, they adored him. He hated them. They were pathetic, weak, and lied to him. They think he was an idiot, that he was as blind as the rest of his year. That he couldn't see it, that he couldn't understand it. He watched at an elderly couple waved to him, inviting him to their store, he merely nodded and responded he would when he had more time. He couldn't shake these dark thoughts, even as he reached the corner that if he went left he would be on his way home. To the right was the market district. He shifted and moved to the right. He needed to think without…distractions like his…relative.

Sasuke always tried to accept Mikoto, she was family…but she wasn't…his family anymore. She was so different; it was like spitting on her memory. He continued to ignore the civilians and even some of the shinobi that tried to appease him. It was disgusting, and he only wanted to disappear from these people's eye, and continue his dream. To be strong enough to get his revenge on that man.

'_He's an obstacle…if you remove him…it will be a step closer…the power…_' Sasuke shook the thought from his head, as the image of his blond teammate filled his mind's eye. '_Don't be scared…_'

"Sasuke. Come here, boy. I want to speak with you." The voice of Haki of the Shinobi Supply store caught him off guard, this man was among an elite few that didn't praise the ground that Sasuke walked on, and he was an ex-Anbu. Sasuke held more than a bit of respect for the man; he was a cripple that never let it slow him down. Even if he'd been dismissed from the shinobi forces he moved forwards. That took real power. It was strange to see him out of his store though.

"Hn." He sounded as he stepped up to the aged man, who looked over the Uchiha scion with incredible attention.

"So, after some time, and a bit of observation, I noticed that you've been having trouble keeping up with your teammate. Well, I helped him out a bit so I thought; I could do the same for you." Haki said as he pulled out a scroll. "This is a full seal array, that when applied will allow you over time to gather your chakra affinity, in your case fire, and have it augment your abilities, as well as have plenty of extra chakra for jutsu." Haki's eyes seemed to stare through Sasuke "It also has the designs to make sure that you can keep it as small as possible. It will allow you to keep it as a surprise. Don't tell anyone though; this is a secret seal array, and one that can get you in trouble if used inappropriately." Sasuke's eyes shinned with desire as he snatched the scroll, and smiled. With this he had the key to power, power that would eventually show itself to be the greatest in the history of Konoha, or his clan.

"Thank you, Haki." Sasuke said in a respectful tone before continuing off in a rush before the man could take it back, slipping the scroll into his pack. Slowly Haki stepped back into the shadows, and a devilish smile could be seen for a moment, before a subtle chuckle, and a sound much like a pop sounded as the jutsu dropped and a lean, red headed man stepped from the shadows, just before pulling a hood over his head, hiding most of his features. One of the few things that anyone could see, and made most steer clear was an insane smile spread across his face, in the most vicious looking of ways. '_That scroll…will teach you much more than just that…Sasuke-chan! Oh how __**he**__ will rage when he finds out._'

[_Yamanaka Flower Shop_]

Ino smiled as she listened to her father praise her. She had been training hard lately. Using her family's techniques along with several things she'd been able to pick up. She was even happier when her father gave her a good amount of money to buy some new outfits as a reward for her hard work. "Thanks Daddy." She said in a bit of a bubbly tone but not nearly as excited as she would normally be.

Yamanaka Inoichi was a master of reading people, and his family was no exception. The changes in his daughter had been sudden, and rather grim. He didn't pry much, as he figured she'd come forwards when the time was needed. He did make sure to look for signs of her being a danger to herself, but saw none. He still wondered what had changed just two short months ago…perhaps a final rejection from that…_boy_. The elder Yamanaka had no liking for the Uchiha boy, though he blamed the Advisory Council, and the rest of the village's council with only a handful of exceptions, that had pampered the boy, and handed him the world. His 'sister' refused such treatment, and became an upstanding member of the shinobi forces. "You're welcome, why don't you go change, and have some fun for the rest of the day, and tomorrow start on your training."

Ino smiled and nodded, as she ran off into the house to clean up, and change. She was dying for a shower, and then a bath. The forest had been more than she wanted to spend in such an environment, not more than she could handle, but she had a choice now and chose to use it to remove the…filth. As she quickly got some of her clothes to change into she had a flash of memory that wasn't her own, and flinched a bit.

"Hmm. I think I'll take this one." She whispered as she left the image replaying in her mind behind, and quickly moved off to wash up. She felt a shiver crawl up her spine as she stepped into her own bathroom, and shut the door with an audible click.

Inoichi was still tending to the shop, when a quiet form slipped into his store, without even ringing the bell on the door, as it awaited Inoichi to finish his work to get his attention, knowing it would take only a moment. The Yamanaka's mind techniques made them good sensors and Inoichi was the best of his clan, for now at least. He frowned a bit, as he felt the slightest of glimmers, and then relaxed when recognized it.

"Ryu-sama, I would prefer if you didn't sneak in her like that. One day I may attack first."

"I have a request from the Hokage. Priority Orange." Those last two words made Inoichi pale, as he quickly scribbled a note before nodding to the Anbu Commander, and heading out. Inoichi was officially not part of Anbu T&I and in truth, he was in charge of the division. They were an open secret, with only select member's remaining faceless, like himself. Only the highest echelons of the village, and a select few others knew of his position. Priority Orange that was what worried the Yamanaka clan leader. It meant something was endangering the young Uzumaki, and if it was brought to him, it was a mental problem. He hoped it was only something small.

[_Konoha-Kumo Training Ground_]

Yugito looked at her two passing girls, and over to the wounded third member as she nodded a bit, to the girls, and handed them each a scroll. "Well then, you know what to do. I have business to attend to. I expect good performances from each of you." She said before disappeared, leaving them to their own devices. Still she had to wonder about the Genin, Naruto Uzumaki. He'd shown qualities above and beyond that any normal Genin could possess. Speed, Intent, and Skill. She shivered as she thought of his power, as a Jinchuriki she had a strong sense of these things. That boy was hiding something, and she would find out what.

She was quiet as she waited to pick up something on the boy. For now, though she'd wait.

[_Konoha_-_Iwa Training Ground_]

Team Kunoichi was silent as they looked down at their Jonin instructor, and turned away to continue their training. The man was shivering in his spot, as Jura left to go get herself some better fitting clothes and the twins began to train. He was a good Jonin of his village, but they had to send these…monsters. Here. Team Kunoichi, all of them were Jonin ranked ninja, unofficially. He was terrified of them. They hated weakness, and he was seen as their weakness. So he decided to go do more recon, it was his best skill. He'd track down the Lightning God, and they'd cease pushing him around.

Iwa Jonin Fuji Kawarbi swore to himself, though in his haste, never noticed the Anbu watching him as he left.

[_Konoha- Ame Training Ground_]

Tsuki, a dark haired kunoichi, dressed in light clothes, which were mostly wrappings, and a tight black top, and short shorts, with an open black long coat, she was in her later teens, but seemed to not care that she was the oldest Genin in the finals. She frowned as she meditated on the pond of water, and felt _his_ presence. She easily relayed the events to her lord, who responded with her orders. She opened her eyes slowly, and walked towards her team, and then passed them without even a second glance. The two boys each shrugged and continued training, with their sensei, whom seemed to be happy that the dark haired girl was gone.

"Tsuki…don't do anything stupid." He prayed under his breath, as the two boys charged again. "Suko! Yasu! Faster!" he commanded the two black haired boys, and they charged even faster.

[_Konoha-_ _Oto Training Ground_]

Dosu smiled as he stepped on Kin's face a bit. She was wounded, and frightened again. It made him feel better about their failures to see Zaku basically paralyzed, and Kin whimpering beneath his feet. He was obviously the only one with any skill here. He calmly kicked her in the ribs, and pointed to the small cabin that their 'sensei' had made for them, to keep their secrets secret, and to allow them to not have to leave openly if they didn't want to. "You know the drill, Kin. Don't make me show you." The girl nodded as she slowly stumbled off, and Dosu looked to Zaku, with a sneer in his one visible eye. This was his now. Power was all that mattered, that was the Oto way.

[_Konoha_- _Forest of Death: Tower_]

Inoichi and Ryu arrived in the medical room, and the blond man frowned as he looked between the two patients, and immediately moved to the boy's side. "I'll need to concentrate. Please do not bother me." He said calmly as he placed a hand onto his head, and grunted.

Sarutobi merely frowned as he watched, and wondered at the state of his poor village.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Inoichi frowned as he stepped into the dark sewer that was Naruto's mind, the leaky pipes and dank look was easily appraised by the blond and he noted it all. It had to be connected to the boy's childhood, but there was something deeper, it could have something to do with the strange feeling he was beginning to get. He didn't want to be careless and possibly step into the domain of the Kyuubi within the boy.

"I never thought someone like you, would be here Yamanaka." The calm voice came from behind the mind walker, who spun around to see a cowled figure, wearing nothing identifying.

"Hmm, you must be the source of the strange events in the boy then." The figure merely shook its head.

"I have always been here. I exist as part of the power that created seal."

"Hmm. You don't seem to be lying." Inoichi said, as he relaxed his left hand, from the hand sign he'd used to detect if a lie was told in his presence. Though it was imprecise, it was enough. "Perhaps then, you can explain what's changed then?"

"Darkness, something dark…has slowly grown in the boy's heart…his very soul seems to resonate with other things that are just as dark. Cursed Seals for instance, maybe close to such a synchronization. He can effect, and be affected by them as long as he is close." The figure spoke calmly making the mind walker stop to think, and then he smiled.

"So, if we separate him…"

"This is merely my own supposition. I cannot be certain, but there is nothing else beyond here. If you go any further you will find nothing but his pain, and the very darkness he has cultivated." Inoichi blanched as he considered that, and faded out of the boy's mind, as Minato let out a sigh, and pulled off the cowl as his outfit returned to normal. He walked to the cage that the seal was represented by.

"**Why? You know of the darkness…why allow it to grow?**" The Kyuubi asked curious of the Hokage's actions.

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." he responded

"**Why…don't you want to?**"

"Simple. He has to overcome the darkness on his own, I believe in him." Minato said with a smile.

"**Disgusting…**"

[_Konoha- Market District_]

Ino sighed as she left her family's shop, and locked it up. Her dad had gone out so she didn't want to leave it open. She calmly walked down towards the clothing store she preferred, and smiled. Even now she loved to shop. One of the shopkeepers greeted her, and her smile strained as an image of them appeared in her mind's eye, one that was dark, violent, and angry. She sped up her step as more and more people's kind smiles changed into dark grimaces, and violent sneers. Slowly her pace picked up until she found herself running as fast as she could from the crowded streets.

She spun around a corner and slammed right into the dark avenger, Sasuke collapsing on top of him. Sasuke, for his part was more annoyed than anything. This wasn't the first time something like this happened. It was however, the first time that the girl had been crying. Sasuke frowned as he pushed Ino up off of him, and quirked an eyebrow, as he near panicked expression before she took off, running from even him. The Uchiha heir stood slowly, and looked at her retreating back with a frown.

"Yamanaka Ino, Mind walker. Seems she saw something she couldn't handle." Sasuke looked over to the nearest doorway, where Kabuto stepped into the light, a violent look in his eyes.

"Seems so. Not that it's my business." Kabuto laughed and then shook his head.

"She's gotten strong. Found some books, and manuscripts that were hidden deep in the shadows." Kabuto continued, and Sasuke turned away.

"Then why did you make sure she found them? Kabuto, servant of the Snake Sannin." Kabuto frowned as he glared at Sasuke, and shifted his stance.

"You know more than you should."

"Do I? Then perhaps, we should talk about the most important thing that either of us cares about?" Sasuke hissed as his eyes flashed red.

"And what would that be?"

"Power!" and in that single instant, Kabuto smiled viciously enough to match the Uchiha's own.

[_Konoha_- _Forest of Death: Tower_]

Inoichi grunted as he stepped back from Naruto and looked around the room. He was exhausted; it had been a good stretch of time, during which he'd been walking in Naruto's mind. Long enough for the sun to nearly had disappeared beyond the tree line. The Hokage had left to do his business. Ryu was waiting patient as ever, arms crossed as the clan leader leaned back tired into a nearby chair.

"Report."

"It seems that the…host's own recent emotional turmoil has made him…able to…connect to other sources of extreme dark emotions."

"So, how can we wake him?"

"I would say move him away from the source…but, my gut tells me that would somehow cause more problems."

"Then?"

"We have to let the problem, work itself out. Keep a watch on them; knowing this boy…he'll surprise us."

Ryu nodded a bit before stepping forwards. "Let me take you back, you seem a bit out of it. The forest is more dangerous now that the exam is over." Inoichi nodded a bit, before the familiar feeling of a shunshin washed over him, and they left the room. Two sleeping pariahs, alone.

…or so they thought.

[_Unknown_]

Naruto groaned a bit as he found himself in a dark room, it smell of blood, and things that Naruto's sharp nose couldn't identify. He looked around, realizing easily he was in a holding cell, and looked around. He heard the sounds of sobbing and frowned, the room was barely even lit, much less easy to see in. He also knew that any holding cell would have chakra dampening seals on it. It would make using any technique nearly impossible.

For a normal shinobi.

"Raiton, Hand of Raiden." The burst of the electricity drained the blond far more than he expected, but the darkness receded. The forbidden technique was dangerous, if used with too much chakra it could explode in the user's body. Too little and it could use the body like a massive circuit. Luckily Naruto's seals regulated it perfectly, leaving a ball of floating electricity. In the darkness, he found a girl sprawled out on her side, horribly beaten, battered, and possibly worse. She looked no older than he was; as he approached he could her muttering.

"No…no…abandon me…Master! Master! I will obey…please…" she whined weakly. In the quickly weakening light, Naruto couldn't make out much about her. He figured someone would notice the jutsu use and come for him. He wasn't worried about it. He frowned as he could feel the pain. Loneliness…it was a grim curse. One he bared on his back for his entire life…except for a single moment. A moment he treasured. He clenched his fist, as he considered. This person might be one of those that tried to hurt him. He could feel his rage growing, and growing…then it suddenly was gone. He blinked a bit as the last of the light faded, and he closed his eyes. '_No…she's an outcast…just like me.'_

Even in the faded light, he knew where she was and calmly placed a hand on her shoulder, and frowned at the feeling. She was bleeding; he could feel the blood on his hands from several small cuts. All meant to wound. Done by a professional in torture. She froze and he could feel her tension increase substantially.

"Don't worry." His voice sounded so weak to his own ears, uncertainty wasn't a common feeling for the blond, and he had always tried to overcome it. "I'm here…I understand..." he whispered, as the soothing sounding words, washed over her, she didn't respond.

"Your darkness consumes you…you cannot feel the light…" a small voice said from the creeping dark from around Naruto, it was however one he would never forget. "…So how can you drag another into it?"

"H-Haku-chan?" he asked the darkness, and an icy giggle filled the room.

"Yes? _Naruto-kun_?" the voice responded

"H-how? I-I…you died."

"So? I am always with you. I was once basking in the light of your kind soul…" her voice grew more and more bitter "…but you allowed your sadness to corrupt the man you were, the man I loved…and made him into this…disgusting shadow." She hissed, as he could feel tears sliding down his cheeks. "You are pathetic, not even worthy of the attention of the dead." She continued as a hand sped from the darkness, wrapping around the boy's throat, as the darkness seemed to brighten a bit, just enough to make out the withered features of the once beautiful girl. Skin hardened, cracked and rotting, a gaping hole in her chest, hair ragged and ruined. Naruto's eyes watered, even as he sat paralyzed. "So…why don't you join us?"

Naruto wasn't scared, but he couldn't bring himself to move. The only person he loved…hated him for his devotion. "H-Haku…chan!"

"No! No! No! Someone like you can't call me by that…only my Naruto-kun can call me that! Not shadows! Lies! You are trash!" she cried out, as he cold rage washed over him, freezing even the girl's leaking blood. "You are nothing! Your goals can't be realized! You've forgotten everything!" Naruto watched in frozen awe, even as the girl's hand tightened around his throat. Forgotten? What could he have…?

Naruto was startled suddenly as the tightness around his throat was gone, but he could feel a light touch on top of his hand.

"The darkness…I am…not alone?" Naruto looked desperately for a moment for her, even if she was trying to kill him…he felt tears fall from his eyes, and he tightened his grasp on the girl next to him.

"No…we are together in this darkness." He whispered clenching his eyes shut, and feeling that somehow it was brighter than the world around him. Slowly he felt a pair of arms around his shoulders, but it wasn't the girl, who lay weakly to his side on the ground, clinging to his hand. "All of us."

Slowly something stirred deep within him, but instead of the dark feelings…it was something…warm…as the arms tightened around him, an unfamiliar feminine voice whispered in his ear. "Naruto, remember…I am here for you…never forget…what makes us strong."

"Strong…" he whispered, and he could tell the girl perked up at the word. Naruto thought on what made on strong. Was it power? Jutsu? Experience? A bloodline? "What makes someone strong…?" Power seemed to echo in his mind, the desire for more and more. It was like a drug in his veins as the arms began to loosen, he could feel it. Like he had two more hearts beating in his belly. Each one hungering for more power! With power he would be the strongest, and nothing could stop him then.

"Power…makes one strong…" the girl whispered weakly as she curled around him, pulling the boy down next to her. Cuddling to his side, the fear still deep in her slim frame, he could almost taste it. "…but power for power's sake…only creates…darkness." Naruto frowned as his blue eyes opened looking into the darkness as he raised a nearly invisible hand in front of his face. The feeling of the arms was gone replaced by the girl's own real arms. He wondered for only a moment, as for what he fought for. Why he needed power.

Was it his dream? To become Hokage? Leader of a village of ninja: powerful, respected, and feared?

Was it for himself? To be safe from those who wished to harm him?

What was it for? Why did he desire power? "Why!" he shouted, and the girl shivered closer. Footsteps slammed down echoing from the top of the cell block they were in.

'_We believe, in a special kind of force…our greatest strength, really…'_ the voice of the Hokage echoed in Naruto's mind '_…one that binds all of us, much closer than blood…_' the door's locks were fiddled with, and the girl pulled back to the back wall of the room terrified. '_...it's called the Will of Fire. In you, Naruto…_' One of the door's locks echoed through the room with a rumble as the next one was almost playfully slow to be unlocked. '_I see a strong and bright flame, one that will touch the lives of many…_' Naruto sat up wearily, as he looked to the dim light coming from the door, darkened even more from the feet that stood before it. The second to last lock clanked open. '_…but only if you take care of it, and keep it strong._' Naruto closed his eyes, as he remembered what he asked the old man next. How do you keep it strong?

'_Love. Protect those close to your heart, do what you believe in, and I can see it. Your flame will be the brightest in the history of Konoha…_'

That's strength? Suddenly something struck him, a memory he'd nearly forgotten:

_"I'd say resolve. I think resolve makes someone strong,"_ he could hear his own voice in his ears, as a soft lovely voice breathed seemingly into his ear, a response he'd forgotten in his sadness.

_"I think it's a good answer…but I think…that protecting those closest to your heart is the path to make you the strongest. To protect your precious people, is the path to true strength."_ He heard Haku's voice again, but this time he smiled as the last lock clanked, and fell to the floor.

"My…nindo…" he whispered as the door began to open. "I will…never go back…on my word…" the room began to brighten with a red grim light from the hall, even as Naruto's skin began to spark with energy. "I will…always…protect my precious people…" he continued as the light from outside was slowly consumed by the light of his electrical aura. "And…I will never…give up!" before the door could even open, the blast of pure undiluted electrical power slammed into it, throwing the guard, and the door into the hall like toys. Slowly he stood, as he could still feel the subtle beats of his desire for power, for its own sake trying to grow again, before ebbing away. He stepped into the doorway, and looked into the empty hall, with only a broken door hiding the identity of the man who tried to enter.

"I don't know…how long it will take…" he began before smiling brightly, tears rolling down his cheeks, not of anything but the feeling of great relief "…but let me take you into the light." He whispered to the girl, who looked at him afraid to trust him. For a moment his blue eyes looked into the girl's own, even if they were hidden in the shadows, it was like it meant nothing. "Or…you can stay in the dark." He said, not wanting to demand her to follow.

"Wi-Will you make me strong?" she whispered and crawled closer to him. "Strong enough to find Master? To make him love me again?"

"No." She seemed heart broken, as Naruto could literally see the darkness seem to thicken around her. "You will make yourself strong enough. I can help though, after all…" and for the first time in weeks, the bright and true smile of Naruto Uzumaki lite up his face. "…what are friends for?" For a moment the girl sat in the now illuminated darkness, as Naruto raised his hand to her. She looked to him for a moment longer, as tears welled up in the purple haired girl's eyes as she flung herself forwards taking the boy's hand.

'_He's…just like sensei! Except…so warm…'_

[_Konoha_- _Forest of Death: Tower_]

Slowly, Naruto and Anko awoke, nearly at the same time. Groggy, sore, and confused. Anko more so than Naruto. All the while, a shadow slowly, and silently slid across the floor towards the snake mistress, whose eyes were locked on the blond boy, almost mystified. "Naruto…Uzumaki?" she whispered as she sat up, weak, flushed and heavily wrapped in bandages. "I had the strangest…dream." She whispered, feeling the strange, off beat of her heart as she continued to look to the blond boy. Naruto blinked a bit, and gave a calm, friendly smile. One that made Anko's heart skip a beat, as she saw, like a figment behind Naruto, an image of her sensei…not the traitor Sannin, but the one she remembered…cherished…and even more so the one that she…

She was so distracted that she was literally shocked when Naruto bolted across the room, almost too fast to catch. Slamming to the wall right next to the wounded Special Jonin, in his hands a masked shinobi, but it was completely impossible to tell where the mask came from, except that it was an Anbu mask. Naruto frowned a bit, as he clenched his hand around the would-be assassin's throat, the poisoned blade clattering to the floor at Naruto's feet. Useless against a Jinchuriki.

"You…will pay for this…brat." The man gasped out, before Naruto smiled, and shook his head.

"Perhaps." Then a bolt of electricity sent the man into unconsciousness like it was nothing more than an afterthought, and Naruto looked to Anko with a childish smile, letting the unconscious would-be murderer slump to the floor "but, by then…we'll be much closer to the light. The light shining from our own bright fire…right?"

Anko blinked for a moment, as Naruto's sudden naivety struck her. Then slowly, she smiled and as if a massive weight suddenly disappeared, she began to laugh hysterically. It was a strong haughty laugh, but it wasn't what she felt…she felt…

"It's okay…I'll bear it with you, Anko." And in a moment as if a simple switch had been flicked, the teenage blond was rubbing the back of the crying snake mistress, who finally let loose a decade of misery, but not before flinging herself into her new blond confidant's arms. The village pariahs, for now at least, mending each other.

And for the first time in what felt like years. Naruto was happy, as he helped out a new friend, one that he somehow felt would become one of his most precious.


	18. Chuunin Exams: Shinobi's Lament

Three days had passed since Naruto awoke; he was left to his own devices for now. He was training alone for the exams, just as he requested from his sensei. He didn't want a single soul to see his ability unless he allowed them to. Of course what he was really practicing was nothing like the taijutsu, and basic electrical jutsu he was doing in the open training grounds. During all that time, his mind was surging with new ideas, and he had been working on them to get them completed before the exams. He already figured that it wouldn't be something he could use often, but his newest enhancement array would make Konoha look great, and he would most likely get the promotion he hungered for. Slowly however, he slowed his practice, looking back to the tree line with a scowl.

"You can come out, Kunoichi-san." He spoke with the most neutral of inflections, as he stared out at the seemingly empty space.

"Impressive. I didn't think you'd be able to see through my technique." The blond Kumo Jonin muttered as she appeared before the blond Genin for the first time. '_She is Yugito Nii, Jonin of Kumogakure, age sixteen. Measurements…_' Naruto flushed a bit as he looked at the older girl's frame, and noting that the Bingo book's information was a tad low for the curvaceous Kunoichi, and shifted his stance a bit, going on the defensive. He was also considering not memorizing distracting information from the books he read.

"It was not difficult, so…what you are doing here, kunoichi-san?" Naruto's voice was colder than ice, and Yugito froze as she felt the fearsome wave of killing intent wash over her. It was far beyond anything she'd expect from most Jonin, but of course she was no regular kunoichi herself, still it was surprising to feel it.

"I wonder. I heard that Konoha's Lighting God was nothing more than a lucky brat, so I wanted to check it out. Rumor has it that it is you." Yugito's smirk showed off her fanged teeth as she easily overcame the killing intent forced at her. Naruto's eyes merely narrowed dangerously as he looked her over.

"You are only a couple years older than me." Naruto straightened up and crossed his arms across his chest as his blue eyes continued to stare into her own, and something began to twist in her stomach. "If you want to test your theory you are welcome to try it, but know this…I will not hold back." Yugito's eyes narrowed, as she was challenged by the male Genin. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to control her anger. This brat had just threatened her, that she could live with, but a brat looking down on her…acting tough…he had no idea who he was dealing with.

She cleared the distance to Naruto in an instant a claw composed of lightning about to smash into the brat's head. He didn't even flinch as she moved to remove his head, and for an instant Yugito closed her eyes at the last moment, to prevent the blood spray from getting into her eyes. She froze however when she felt her arm slam into something…something she couldn't even budge. She opened her eyes quickly preparing to move, but Naruto was still standing still, looking to her hand glowing with lighting.

"Is that it? As a Raiton user, you should have more penetration than this." Naruto raised a hand and simply touched her arm, as if he wasn't fighting, but just reaching out to her. No matter what she did she couldn't move her arm, as if it was stuck to the boy. The lightest of touches grazed her arm but the force behind it made her crumple to the ground as her elbow was shattered, her arm horrifically twisted from the lightest of touches. "Your style of Raiton techniques is the worst for combating me. Even with my chakra acting erratically."

Yugito however, wasn't a Jonin for nothing, as she swung herself down to attempt to strike at the other blond with a leg sweep, she gasped when she began to float instead, pain coursing through her arm. "Tsk. Kumo must not be so good with lightning if you attempted to strike out at me while I am in full contact with your chakra network." Naruto's cold blue eyes softened for a moment as he looking into Yugito's eyes, and then she fell to the ground, the boy turning away to hide his pained expression. "Go. Now." He slowly started walking away, but Yugito was furious. The boy…that brat! Thinks he can pity her, a Jonin of Kumo?

Yugito's broken arm snapped into place with a painful hiss as she allowed her prisoner's chakra to flow into her mangled arm, a single arm cloak. 'Cat's Claw!' she screamed in her mind as a claw of red hellish chakra slammed into Naruto's back. He was engulfed in red chakra. Yugito knew she had to leave before the Anbu found the boy's burnt corpse, so she turned to flee until she felt her legs go boneless, her body seemed to freeze in place as a terrible force seemed to weigh down on her, even the grass was flat at her knees.

"You…**little bitch!**" the grow that came from behind her made her soul quiver as she tried to look back but her body refused to do it, not that it took too long for the blond to appear before her, his aura a deep crimson. His whiskers thick and angry, eyes a deep crimson. "**I will leave less than ashes behind when I am done with you. Ningen.**" The cold voice that flowed from Naruto's lips was something far more primal than Yugito could even bring herself to fear. This was beyond even her old sensei's aura, or the Raikage's…it was horror incarnate.

"**Give me a good reason to not use you like the weak flesh you are, and leave **_**you**_** to rot as my most potent of chakras burn you away?**" The Kyuubi enhanced boy growled and the most that Yugito could manage was a frightened whimper, even as an overwhelming power seemed to fill the clearing, as a massive wing of pure lightning mixed with the red chakra of the Kyuubi began to slid from the blond boy's back.

"I-I c-can't give up here…I have to…pro…" she growled trying to stand strong, but her voice breaking under the boy's glare. She had been hoping that her own demon would back her, but the Nibi seemed to be cowering before the rage of the strongest of demons. Yugito didn't know where these feelings were coming from, but she couldn't hide them either. She was going to die…

"**Protect? Those you protect…?**" The question seemed odd, but Yugito remained quiet as the boy muttered to himself for a moment, before she realized it had grown easier to breath, the oppression slowly leaking away.

"**I…see.**" The aura disappeared in a flash of red, Naruto's blue eyes were full of pain as he looked down to Yugito, tears falling down his cheeks as he took a step back from her, as if she would have hurt him. The oppressive aura was replaced by a different feeling. "D-Don't die, Yugito-san…sometimes…loss is even more painful." Then the blond was gone, and Yugito sighed in relief even as she noticed the tears falling from her cheeks.

"Why…am I crying?" she asked the thin air, just before she fainted, her body giving out from the trauma it had suffered in the short battle.

Not too far off, several Anbu had arrived the moment that the auras had collided. Ryu appeared and received the silent report of his soldiers, and returned the signs, giving them orders. Yugito would be taken in, have repression seals placed on her, and questioned by the Hokage. She was not to be touched by another. The Anbu disappeared, and a moment later so did Yugito. Sensing no other presences, Ryu stepped into the clearing and looked to the sky, removing his mask, and holding it to his side.

"Hn." He sounded as the clouds moved to cover the bright sun, and the moment the shadows had consumed him, he was gone, the clearing looking again as if nothing had ever happened.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Sarutobi sighed a bit louder than he meant to, as he looked over his old student, bruised and more than a bit beaten. The man had been found by the squad he'd sent out to get him, of course he'd been peeping. The ensuing attack on the Sannin made Sarutobi wish he could just retire right now. His entire body seemed to agree, even as he looked to the strongest of his successors. He knew instantly that at this time it was impossible. "Damn it Jiraiya, I call you here to see me…and you...This is important!"

Jiraiya seemed to grow bored almost instantly with the older man's words. "So? It's not like it's changed anything." Sarutobi frowned as he remembered Kakashi's words, and then looked to Jiraiya with hardened eyes.

"Oh? Even if it concerned your Godson?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as the smile on his face disappeared.

"Look, I did what I could. I found him a teacher, someone I hadn't seen in quite some time I might add. So…don't call that _boy_…that of all things. He's not-"

"But he is." Sarutobi interrupted with the calmest of tones, but his face seemed to have sunken, aged quickly catching up to him in that instant. Jiraiya looked to his sensei, looking for anything to say that this wasn't true, to tell him that the boy he'd purposefully distanced himself from, wasn't that child of his beloved apprentice. Nothing. Absolutely, nothing.

"You old bastard." The words left Jiraiya's lips before he could even think of stopping them, his rage blinding him. "You sick, sadistic old fuck…I-I have to go…I need to see him…" Jiraiya's face turned from one of rage to panic in an instant, then to a sickened expression. Suddenly his own callus and uncaring words replayed in his mind, and the eyes of beloved pupil seemed to become a sharp glare to his mind's eye.

"Jiraiya…I need…"

"No! You've done enough, Sarutobi." The aging Hokage wilted even further under Jiraiya's anger. Unlike Kakashi, Jiraiya wouldn't be so easy to cow into listening. "I am going to…I need to…" Jiraiya clenched his fists tightly.

"A-At least…let me tell you of him…and things…you need to know." Sarutobi managed, and Jiraiya's shoulders sagged a bit as he looked to the older man, with distrust in his eyes. The Sannin didn't smile even as he took a seat, looking to his sensei.

"Speak quickly old man. I have thirteen years to make up for." Sarutobi's lips curled upwards in a grim, dead sort of smile. He hoped that this would help his sunny little Genin shine again.

[_Konoha: Outer Training Grounds_]

Kakashi sighed a bit as he looked down at the exhausted form of his raven haired Genin, and glanced back towards the village, almost sadly. Sasuke had changed since the event in the forest, and sadly the cursed mark had obviously had an effect on the boy, even if he was now safe from its predations, he was not the same. His eyes thirsted for power, something to fill the gaping hole he felt. Kakashi would teach him the best he could with the month he had. He'd offered the same training to Naruto, but the blond turned him down. Kakashi wondered if Naruto had spoken to the Hokage yet. He figured it would be soon.

"K-Kakashi!" Sasuke screamed as he drove a kunai straight into Kakashi's chest, or at least where his chest used to be. Sasuke's red sharingan eyes looked back to him, and Kakashi merely shrugged at the slowly forming shock on the boy's face. If he only knew the half of it. Kakashi wasn't the two-bit Jonin that some people (the less informed) thought he was. He didn't rely on his sharingan eye, he was a deadly assassin without it. Though to stand up in straight up fight he tended to use it. Those were the harder fights after all. Though after the fight at the bridge in wave, Kakashi had been feeling less lethargic, enough so that he'd picked up his training again. He felt like he was in his prime again.

"Maa, maa Sasuke-chan…charging in screaming will only get you noticed." Then for the first time since the battle with Zabuza Kakashi revealed his Sharingan eye, and prepared himself for the powerful drain it brought, but frowned when he felt none. His vision was still increased dramatically as usual. "Hmm, well allow me to show you how to properly fight using your eyes." Kakashi would figure this out later, but for now he had a student to teach, and seemingly a new trick up his sleeve.

Sasuke frowned as Kakashi easily slipped into his guard, even as he remembered the silver haired sound ninja's words. _'Learn all you can from the Copy-Cat…then contact us…we will be waiting…Sasuke-kun.'_

[_Konoha: Naruto's Building_]

Kabuto frowned as he looked at the door of the Kyuubi container, and silently wondered if something had gone wrong. Sasuke, a dark soul indeed, (but surely nothing compared to a Jinchuriki) had already sought him out. He didn't want to challenge the blond openly, he'd not told his master, but it was basically an open secret that the boy had become quite a dangerous enemy, having learned several advanced sealing secrets, through sheer experimentation and skill. Some believe that it is a bloodline, or perhaps he is related to the true Uzumaki clan that was wiped out. Even more frightening than that is the fact that no matter what he is a genius on the scale of Itachi, either way. If this were a time of war, Kabuto knew that Naruto would have been made a Special Jonin, the sheer destructive powers, of even basic seal mastery was just too much to pass up, but if he were to have time to hone his skills…then he might become a genius on the same scale as _that man…_

Kabuto shifted back into the shadows of the doorway he was hiding in. Watching the quiet halls closely until he noticed a pair of figures head towards the blond's door. He only knew they were here to see him, as Naruto was the sole occupant of the complex, nearly abandoned, some would say because of his presence. Though Kabuto knew in fact that Sarutobi had bought the complex, and had middle men collect rent from the blond which was used to maintain the building and pay various bills. The reason it remained empty was that to move in, you had to be screened. No one wanted to be near the blond, and most of those that did were unfit to do so.

"Is this the place?" a soft voice asked

"Hmm. Looks like it, I doubt that old goat would mislead us."

"Hai. Then I think you should knock first."

"Hmp. I suppose you are right." The loud sound of knocking filled the hallway, and only after a dozen or so seconds did a tired voice respond.

"Yes? Who is there?" The exhausted voice of Naruto made the larger figure tense a bit.

"Just open the door, you brat." The growling voice of the larger figure demanded, and the door did open slowly, the glaring eyes of Naruto softened immediately.

"Z-Zabuza-san?"

"How's it going, brat? I…brought someone to see you." He mentioned before stepping ever so slightly aside, and Naruto's blood seemed to be slamming into his head as he looked on to see the woman he missed so much, with a wide eyed expression. All the power left his body, everything stopped.

"H-Haku…chan?" he murmured at the slightly smiling expression of the woman in front of him, before he felt the darkness creep up on him, and in his already strained state, the shock was more than enough to make him faint. Zabuza blinked a bit before shaking his head.

"Come on, the brat's gonna need an explanation…when he wakes up."

Kabuto watched them carry the blond into his home, and then close the door. He slipped out, and moved off. He wasn't going to risk sticking around with an assassin of Zabuza's caliber around. So the Orochimaru's spy slipped away in the afternoon light.

[_Konoha: Naruto's Apartment_]

The small apartment was basically spotless, except for the table covered in sealing supplies, and the bed that looked recently vacated, through the bedroom doorway. Overall it was what the older shinobi expected, though he was growing worried at what exactly the boy's response would be when he awoke. He wasn't too happy to imagine it. Haku seemed to be almost saintly as she waited; hands clasped together, expression completely neutral. This was going to be a long day.

Luckily for the elite assassin the wait was short, as the Naruto's eyes flickered slowly open, only minutes later. Though, he seemed determined to stare solely at the ceiling. It wasn't too much longer until he sighed and sat up looking to his two visitors, but his eyes locking onto Haku. He seemed to think for a moment, face scrunching up several times, as if trying to erase an illusion from his vision. Zabuza had to imagine the boy assumed he was under genjutsu. There was only another moment, before the distance between the two teens was closed by the younger, who threw his arms around her, and held her tight to him. Haku seemed to blush and look away, but made no motion to return the affection.

"Haku-chan!" he shouted happily before stepping back, tears welled up in his eyes as he did.

"Naruto-san…" her voice seemed to be too quiet, and hinting at some kind of sadness behind it. Naruto seemed confused, but he was so open, so raw that even Zabuza was feeling worse about the next parts. "we…need to talk."

"I'll step outside." The missing nin said as he stepped outside, leaving the two teens alone. Haku gesturing for Naruto to return to his seat, as she went to her knees.

"Naruto-san…It's been several months since we met. Since…the wave incident." Naruto was frowning as he listened to the rather detached words. "I have to say things have not been simple. I was severely injured, and barely survived the events…" she trailed off and closed her eyes, drawing in a slow breath.

"But…you're okay now? I missed you-"

"IamnottheHakuyouknow! Idon'trememberyouatall!" Silence filled the room at the hasty confession, the only sound was the girl's panting as she looked up from her knees to the frozen face of the leaf Genin. His eyes seemed to search her face for a joke, he moved closer to her slowly, reaching out to her, but she flinched away. Naruto saw it. For an instant.

She was afraid of him. The same looks he remembered for all of those years. Now on her face. It was like a revelation. He felt his heart burn, eyes tear up, before he collapsed back against the couch he'd been laying on only minutes ago. Haku blushed a bit before standing, and backing away.

"I-I am so sorry. T-The H-Hokage sent for us…but…I am sorry. I just don't know you…I was told…but…" she flushed again, but without another word disappeared out the door.

"It's always…a lie." Naruto whimpered, as he pulled his knees to his chest, and cried in pain, in sorrow, and a flurry of emotion he couldn't explain. Lightning flew around him, for a moment, before as if the power had been drained away, all the electricity in the room went silent, only the subtle crackle of the small bolts on his arms remained.

Outside, Haku walked up the Zabuza who seemed bothered, as he walked along with his charge, and partner towards the main gate. "You're sure this is the way you want it to end?" he asked calmly.

"No, but this is the way it must end." She whispered, as a single tear fell down her cheek.


	19. Chuunin Exams: The Memories of Darkness

Ryu stood in his office in the lowest parts of the Anbu headquarters, his room was completely bland without a single decoration, award, or even a weapon hanging on a rack. There was only a desk, a comfortable desk chair, and a pair of chairs for guests. In his hands were three files that had been passed around the department, only to end up in hands. Seemingly where someone had attempted to avoid, if the notarizations were to be noted, these papers were going to be filed away, so now the deadly head officer of all the Anbu was contemplating his next actions. He had spies in his department; there was of course never a doubt in this. It was almost obvious to any truly skilled shinobi, but this…this was too blatant, too obvious. This showed an obvious attempt to hide basic information from him. It was almost mystifying. Why would someone do this with such petty information, and remove a high class spy from their fold?

Ryu had called for the heads of all Anbu departments to see him. They were all trustworthy, and thoroughly tested shinobi. Ryu knew it couldn't be any of them, but he had to have them track down the most important part of the investigation. Motive. This move had placed the spy in the holding cells almost instantly, but the man's motive was a complete mystery. He'd been an upstanding man, one Ryu would have almost never suspected. So what could the motive be then? Why waste that on trying to hide information on a pair of genin, and a prisoner? None of it was even classified information, or at least not in the same scale he'd expect from spies in the Anbu departments.

Ryu looked up to the door to his office; it had a seal placed on it by the Yondaime which allowed him to see through the solid wood as long as he was wearing his particular mask. The mask of Ryu the Anbu Commander. He noted that three of the five heads were traveling together, and were only a couple dozen yards from his door. His eyes flickered down to the documents in his hands, and to the log sheet. Processing, Filing, Handling, Information Security, and then to him. What was the pattern? The motive…he had to know! It was imperative to know.

Ryu frowned as he tried to connect the dots, what did it all have in common…what did it…he stopped and thought about it, the common parts of the logged locations. Each would have been a short stop on the way to his hands, each manned by a single or a most two Anbu at a time. The connection was time, and personnel in the area of the information. He flipped through the folders and documents, and then did so again, but this time in reverse, looking at the backs of the paperwork. Noticing something off, he quickly tossed the papers to the floor, and slammed into his door, pushing into the heads of his departments and pushing them to the ground as his office burst into flames. Shaking the entire building as his masked fellows slowly stood with him.

"Break that man that tired to hide those files. I want it all. I will not stand for this! Especially not now. Go, you are dismissed." Ryu said to the heads of each department, all a bit shaken that something like this had happened here, even as they silently acknowledged their orders to the back of their leader, who was facing the flames. Glaring through his mask as several people arrived to put out the flames.

"There will be a reckoning." He grimly growled before disappearing into the shadows of the department without even a single order for the rest of the Anbu. Only one of the Deparement Heads completely kept his cool, bit Ibiki agreed with the commander, as he moved off to get the work done. There would be a reckoning, and he would enjoy every moment of it.

[_Konoha Gates_]

Zabuza and Haku slowly walked from the gates of Konoha, a small escort of two chuunin walking with them, merely to be certain of their leaving Konoha's lands, and to assure that the neutrality of the nations remained. Zabuza wasn't too pleased with the days result, but he figured best to get, while the getting was good, or before his one-time fellows caught him.

"This is going to be a long trip. You sure you're ready?" the missing ninja grumbled

"I must be." Haku responded with a quiet sigh, even as the Jonin nodded, they soon reached the edge of Konoha's territory, where the two chuunin watched at the pair continued to talk, the only detail that struck them from the distance was a sudden movement by the elder shinobi, one they noted as him being surprised, before they continued moving to turn in the reports of the pair's actions to the Hokage.

[_Konoha Streets_]

"Mommy!" a small girl cried out as she fell back, shivering in terror. She'd bumped into a lithe shinobi, but what truly had bothered her was when she had for only a moment locked eyes with the man's burning red eyes from behind his sunglasses. The mother quickly moved to her daughter's side and looked to the man, who stood almost dumbfounded at the pair before smiling a bit and rubbing the back of his head.

"I must apologize, she startled me and happened to look into my eyes without the protection of my glasses." He explained as he crotched down to the girl's eye level and easily withdrew a single red sucker and held it out to the girl. She looked at the sucker, and then to the red haired man. He didn't seem so scary now that he was smiling. She slowly reached out and took the sucker and smiled brightly at the man. Then he stood and walked away without another word. The mother still seemed to be annoyed, and attempted to call out before the man disappeared into thin air, reappearing in the shadows of a building nearby.

"Heh. All too easy. The Anbu must be either lazy, or distracted. How boring!" He grinned as his sunglasses began to crack under some unknowable strain, then in a moment of true madness he began to laugh, twisting as if to deliver his glee to the gods themselves. "In perfection…lies true madness!"

And soon the entire world would understand it.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Naruto slowly shifted as he felt something enter his room, but he couldn't bring himself to care enough to even look at it, to even wonder why it was here. Maybe it was the Shinigami coming to claim him; he couldn't bother to care about it. A soft touch on the back of his head, made him slowly look up into the face of a grey haired man with a pair of red lines, one under each eye.

"Hey there, kid. I uh…heard about what happened-" the elder stopped when he noted the glare that the boy seemed to be attempting to use to burn through him.

"What does it matter to you? Just leave me here and go." Naruto growled before pushing the man's hand aside, the glare quickly softening into a demure look of sheer despair. It was just as bad as the old goat had described to him. Jiraiya had hoped to reach the boy before the foreign pair. Mixed with the event with the girl from Kumo, the sage assumed that the boy's mentality was severely strained. A trait that he was certain to be able to relate to, with all the news he'd received lately.

"Look, I am known far and wide as the Gallant Jiraiya! I have come here, after a mission spanning over a decade to inform you that I am-" Jiraiya stumbled for a moment, the boy's eyes had locked with his, and something deep within them told him to choose his next words carefully. He figured that the truth would only bring more despair, or worse anger to foreground of the boy's mind. So he diverted for now. "-going to train you from now on, until I decide that you are up to snuff." Naruto's eyes seemed to hold distrust, but still held onto that hope, even as tears began to well up.

"The first lesson the Great Jiraiya has for you, my young apprentice…is to let go of your grief, don't hold it in. Let me help you get over it, as your newest sensei…I will help you." He whispered, as the blond wiped at his eyes fruitlessly before tears began to overwhelm him, and he began to spill out over a decade's worth of misery. Each word seemed to burn the elder man, constantly realizing that he was responsible at least in part for all of it. The elder couldn't have known the boy's deep devotion to the man's words, as the foremost seal master in Konoha, Naruto had read dozens of the Toad Sage's writings. Hearing that the man was his sensei, that he would help him…that he wouldn't be alone now, but still distrust remained as well as a few grim secrets. No matter, it was still an amazing weight from his shoulders, it wasn't something that would erase the events of the day…but it was a definable improvement.

Jiraiya noted still that the boy skipped over some of the things that the Hokage had made sure to tell him, to inform him of the boy's woes and to prepare him just in case. The elder shinobi knew it would be a long, long day…but tomorrow…tomorrow he would begin the real training. Tomorrow he would train a boy called 'God'. He would train one more apprentice…one more pupil. His godson would be the man that his previous student, his own sensei, and he himself strived to be. Of that, Jiraiya would be certain.

[_Shinobi General Supply_]

Haki calmly cleaned some of the tools on the shelves. It was shortly after closing, but the words of the Sound Jonin continued to echo in his ears, and it angered the Ex-Shinobi greatly. He was torn between treason, or letting his lack of skill end the career of two skill kunoichi. It was a sickening choice. He wished he at least knew what he was dealing with, but there was not even a whisper about the leader of the sound village to be found. Such tightly guarded information, was tightly guarded for a good reason. He frowned before suddenly yelping, having cut his finger on the sharp point of the long kunai he'd been shinning even as it tumbled to the ground. His instincts and training, led the crippled man to bend over and catch it as nimbly as a man half his age and twirling it before letting out a small sigh.

The bell jingled at his door signaling someone entering "Sorry, we're clos-" he stopped upon seeing the person who entered "Ryu-sama?"

"Haki-san. I have come to ask you for it. I fear that with the recent events…I will need that blade again." The voice of Ryu was as mechanically flat as it always was, but Haki was pale. He looked to a small locked metal cabinet in the corner. Where 'that' blade was held, an item that left a trail in its wake…unless wielded by the proper soul. Ryu was the closest any had ever been. "The blade. Now, Haki-san."

Haki slowly moved to the cabinet and pulled out a single key, and swiped it across the recently opened cut, before sliding it into the lock. The first seal had been released. Within was a single box, big enough for a ninja-to at best. He carefully raised the box and set it out for the Anbu to take it. "Th-The rest is yours…I hope you know what you are doing…Ha-err…Ryu-sama." He stumbled over his words, eyes locked on the box even as the mysterious Anbu slipped it into his hands.

"Thank you, Haki-san. I hope I do not need to unleash it." With that the Anbu was gone. Haki looked to the empty room, and the sudden throbbing of his ruined leg made him stumble on his way to lock the door to the store. Tonight would not be the night to decide anything. That much was for certain.

[_Konoha: Training Ground Four_]

Jiraiya had quickly showed the blond his own prodigious skill in seals, removing the swiftly applied 'five prong seal' that his ex-teammate had used. Still even then he just couldn't motivate the boy the way he needed to. A thought crossed the elder's mind, one that he knew would be risky, but he had to try. Otherwise he doubted his new pupil's survival against the violent Suna Genin, or Jiraiya supposed he should call him Jinchuriki. After all he wasn't a spymaster for nothing.

"Naruto." The boy looked up a bit to meet the elder's eyes. He was working on the formula for controlling his complex seal array, with the elder man's help. "We need to get past this, your fight in the exam…it could be more dangerous than you think. So I think that we should use a slightly forbidden seal to help you out." Naruto blinked a bit and then sighed a bit, obviously about to decline. "It's a seal I and the fourth developed; it was designed to help handle the stress of war time, specifically PTSD. I think that using a slightly modified version of it, we could remove the direct causes of your problems…at least until we have the time to work them out."

Naruto blinked again, and then looked down "Would it really help? Or would it just push it off to be worse later?"

"Tsk. It's only forbidden because if placed improperly I could turn your brain sunny side up! No worries though, I am the highest grade of Seal Master Konoha has ever seen, excluding two or three true prodigies in the art." Naruto frowned a bit deeper, but he could tell there was more the old man was going to say. "The best part of the modification is what I call memory resonance. So you know what the missing parts represent. Despair, sadness, and these grim emotions you have now. The seal will give you the chance to make something good to help you deal with it, and when the time comes we can slowly release it, bit by bit, so you can deal with it easier."

Naruto was amazed; this seal seemed almost too good to be true, so thusly it had to be. "What are the down sides?"

"The biggest problem would be if you were ever captured, and placed under a situation of constant extreme duress will under the seal effects…it could cause the seal to rupture and all of…this to hit you in a single wave. Most people's minds can't take that." Then the elder seal user crotched down and smiled a bit "But I am confident in you, Naruto. You can take it, and with this you can give yourself a chance…a chance to be happy. Isn't that what she would want." Naruto's eyes widened, as he looked to the Sannin, he'd never mentioned Haku to the older man, and hoped he didn't really know about it. Would it be alright? To forget her? Even for a day? "Naruto. Take it from a man whose been through some tough times…things can get better. Just trust me. This will make it all easier in the long run, and the short run."

Naruto's mind was spinning. Could he really betray her? He promised to never forget. _'Real strength…comes from protecting what is precious to you…_' Naruto frowned as he scribbled the words down on some blank scroll parchment and looked at it. Could he protect what was precious if he was like this? _'Give in…the darkness of despair…it is real strength!_'

Naruto growled as he felt his shoulder broil in heated rage, as he took off at a pace that left Jiraiya standing alone by the small stream, looking down at the paper. He knew that with the lightning enhancements Naruto had, it would impossible to catch him without an idea of where he was going. So he sat down and began to use his personal supplies to begin the seal's basic array. If this worked well enough, he might even get some research time in! The perverted Sannin giggled as he got to work.

Naruto on the other hand was just running. Running away from the pain, the rage, the sorrow, and the desire to surrender into it all, to become something he wasn't. To let it consume him, and leave a broken shell or worse. He didn't know where he was going, he just ran. Each step was like a hundred, leaving a trail of sparks, and energy behind him. Sadly the power in his seals wasn't meant to be used like this and the damage to his legs eventually overwhelmed him, causing him to crash to the ground, shivering as tears fell from his eyes. Slamming his fist down to the earth, again and again as his rage grew, his hatred, his sorrow…

Within the serpent of the cursed seal snickered. Pleased by the most recent growth of his hosts own darkness. It called out, knowing that it would be heard by it's originator. The time was right to pluck the fruit.

"Gaki?" a calm voice said, as the purple haired Special Jonin landed next to the blond. She looked around, noting the scorched earth, and the smell of burnt…well the smell of burning in the air itself. She was surprised to see him in the forest of death again. This time it was like a resonance that drew her to him. "Come on, come here," She whispered into the blonde's ear, and pulled him up and off to a tree to the side. She couldn't help but flush a bit as she sat with him cradled in her arms, resting against her. Tears still falling from his eyes. She felt…right protecting the boy, as he had in her dreams.

"Come on, Gaki. Tell me what's got you blowing up my forest." No real response came, but she felt something twinge in her shoulder, and a sudden burst of pure despair flooded her heart, she saw memories that were not her own. Her cursed seal had began to curl out of it's hiding place on her shoulder, as Naruto's did as well. Something told her, this exchange was not a one-way street. She wondered what could be causing it. Even as tears began to fall from her eyes. A lifetime of pain, shared between two kindred souls in a span of less than an instant.

"How?" Naruto asked, looking to the sky. "How do you…keep moving forwards?"

"Hmm." Anko's mind was lost in the gloom for a moment, but the words she spoke were raw, pure, and though she didn't like it, they were the truth. "I can't give up…no matter what…even if I can't remember…I know…deep down I need to show him, show them, I am strong. To prove myself in their eyes, and then prove to myself I'd done it. I'd overcome my past." She whispered, and Naruto felt no more assured than he had at first, but Anko continued. "And…because if I give up…I throw it all away. The sacrifice of my comrades, the trust they put in me. Whether I know it or not…they believe in me…I can't let them down." Anko leaned back, suddenly tired. As if she'd just trained with Gai, she began to doze off, mentally exhausted.

Naruto's eyes were wide for a moment, as he let out a long breath, and smiled ruefully. "Thank you…Anko-chan." Then he joined her in peaceful slumber.

[_Shinigami's Realm_]

The Shinigami frowned as he slipped into his guise. Something major was about to happen, and he had to prepare the afterlife for it. Death on a large scale, it would be a staple for the next few years at least he supposed. Kushina seemed to worry more, and more after he told her of the events that would be coming, or at least the events he foresaw. Something had been bothering him for some time, ever since the meeting with Fate. He'd been watching the boards, and things seemed to have almost frozen. A thousand games all stopping as if holding their breath and awaiting the moves of their elder kin, many worried of how it would upset their own plans. Some worried for their own spheres of control, and others just worried for those we were supposed to look over.

"Is this the only way? Things like this…we all hoped to avoid them with the end of the last one." Kushina asked as Shin moved towards the exit of his realm.

"Sometimes, even the Gods cannot predict the movement of mortals. That is the curse of freedom." With that the personification of death was gone to prepare for the inevitable. Kushina puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, and wished for some company. It was becoming all too lonely.

[_Konoha: Outer Village_]

Hours later found Naruto walking back into the village at large, next to a rather irritated looking Mitarashi Anko. "Tell anyone, and I promise you will regret it! Got it, Gaki?" she shouted in an exaggerated manner, as the blond took a step back, looking to the angry expression with a smile and nod, if for no other reason than to appease the enraged Jonin.

"Yeah, well whatever the boy did…I'd assume you'd want to take it up with his sensei." Anko's head snapped to the voice in a snarl that caught in her throat, even in the dim light of twilight the unmistakable form of the Sannin Jiraiya was obvious to her. She looked to Naruto and back to Jiraiya even as the blond stepped up to the grey haired Sannin.

"I accept. Let's do this. Sensei." Naruto said with a slight smile, as Jiraiya smiled and lead Naruto off into the twilight. Anko blinked a bit, her eyebrow twitching at their retreating backs.

"I need more sake. Ooooh, and Dango!" she cheered as she waltz off towards her favorite stand.

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

The slender serpent snaked its way through Naruto's mind. It wouldn't allow this! If the old Sannin got his way, all this hard work would be for nothing! Why, oh why! It's call had to be answered by that little whore. It had to hurry to its hiding spot before the other residents found it. Suddenly as if the entirety of Naruto's mind inverted the snake found itself floating in the air before the cage of the mighty Kyuubi.

"What! How?" it hissed in fear, even as the fox snickered. Minato shook his head as he looked to the fragment of Orochimaru's power. "W-What isss thisss! What will you do with me?"

"What else?" Minato said with a sneer, even as the physical representation of the Cursed Mark began to recede, being absorbed into the greater seal on Naruto's stomache. "Repurpose you, to something we each would prefer far more than you…right Kyuubi?" The massive fox's maw seemed to sneer at the Fourth's words. "Alright then…it's your move now, fox."

"**With pleasure.**" The snake's screams bothered Minato, but to the Kyuubi it was music to its ears even as it began to devour the snake.

"Now, what to do with this…" Minato muttered as the seal's formula spun around him, and slowly an idea dawned as he began to work on yet another project. The Kyuubi returned to its rest, no longer interested in this game.

[_Konoha: One Week Later_]

Jiraiya giggled a bit as he looked at the beauties on the other side of the fence. A week ago he'd never had time for something like this but now he was almost free to do as he wished. His newest pupil was adept at getting things done on his own. He'd never imagined that he would have gotten summoning down in a day, though at some point he'd have to get the boy to learn to summon the boss Toad, that could wait until they were farther from Konoha. Now he was off reading some of his notes on sealing. Though Jiraiya was surprised by his pupil's skill in the art. Even Minato couldn't have gotten as far on his own. Though they did some adjustments to his previous works, it would take some time for Naruto to really come into his potential.

"Ahem!" a voice called from his right, making the Sage sigh. Sometimes having a student who could locate you using seals, and a bit of electricity was an annoyance, especially during research!

"What is it?" he retorted quite a bit annoyed as he looked over to his pupil with a raised brow, and then suddenly blinked before yelping. "W-what happened?"

"I think we messed up, Ero-sennin!" his student screamed in a bit of shrill voice. Jiraiya had never thought he'd see this. At least not in this way. Before him, in loose fitting Shinobi Gear stood a female version of his pupil.

"Oh, boy…I can't wait to hear the story behind this one." He snickered as Naruto blushed a bit, and huffed. Jiraiya found it funny how female Naruto seemed, but it still bothered the Sannin. There was no way that the seals could have interacted in such a way…unless...

"Oh man, you almost got me. Drop the jutsu." Jiraiya said waving his hand dismissively. Naruto blushed a bit before grumbling something under 'her' breath. "Sorry? What was that?"

"Look…I already tried. I can't. I used the Transformation Jutsu, but…" 'she' made the signs for dispelling the jutsu, but nothing happened. Jiraiya frowned and then motioned for the brat to follow him, as tears comically fell from his eyes as he thought of the beauties he was missing out on. He hoped he could solve this quickly, before the ladies had left. He lead Naruto off into a small side room used by the Anbu for various reasons, he was more than authorized to use it.

"Right. First things then." He attempted to disrupt the technique with a flick to the cheek, followed by a small chakra pulse to attempt to disrupt the technique. His frown increased as he looked the boy over. "Take off your top, Naruto." He requested thinking nothing of the order; he'd already gone over several seals on the boy's body. He paused when he noticed the slight blush on the female version of his student's face. "Come on! Take it off." He growled, it's not like he was going to do anything, Naruto was a teen for god's sake. Jiraiya smacked his head at the teen's glare. "Look, I get it. I am a self-proclaimed pervert. Blah, Blah, Blah. Whatever this is, must be messing with your head. I need to look at your seals to see what could be causing this. Now, undress you brat!" he growled even as Naruto begrudgingly agreed.

Jiraiya was met with a surprising sight. Naruto's female form was far more mature than a thirteen year old should be. He had to seriously concentrate to not have more perverse thoughts, not that they weren't there. He was just ignoring them in the teen's presence. After all, if she was three inches taller, Naruto's current form could easily pass for twenty. It seemed that the seals had all reverted to a state of learning, as if…

"Naruto. Could you…preform…the jutsu for me?" Jiraiya looked at the half naked blond with the most serious expression he could muster. Naruto shook her head and sighed.

"Ever since I took this form…I couldn't use it. I mean the puff of smoke appears, but I don't change a bit." Jiraiya signals him to wait, while he pulls out a scroll and scribbles some symbols down.

"Go ahead." Naruto used the jutsu but nothing ever happened, the scroll in Jiraiya's hand seemed to glow for a moment and then his eyes widened. "No way."

"W-What!" she screeched loudly making Jiraiya flinch at the sound. He suddenly missed the melancholy filled, and yet quiet boy that he had been dealing with just a week ago. The new nickname didn't help either.

"Naruto. Who taught you the Transformation Jutsu?"

"Err…well, Iruka started to…but I figured it out on my own mostly…w-why?" Jiraiya looked to the chakra pattern in his hands in sheer disbelief.

"Well, I know what happened. Luckily it isn't permanent. It will last for a week at most, as the seals adjust to this form." Naruto blinked in confusion, as Jiraiya sighed and hefted Naruto's ample breasts up, illicting a yelp and a swift smack to the elder man's head. Jiraiya twitched a bit as he continued to explain. "Somehow…you managed to create a full physical transformation technique, capable of not only changes of appearance, but gender as well. Which is why the seals are locking you in this form. Your chakra network is completely different as a woman. Luckily this will only have to happen once." That Naruto could follow. "Ahem. So how does it feel to know you've created a jutsu that breaks basically all normal conventions of the shinobi way?" Naruto felt Jiraiya's hands twitch on her chest for a moment and felt her brow twitch.

"A better question…how long do you plan to keep your hands there you old pervert!" she screeched before hitting him hard over the head making him let go before grabbing her jacket, and running out. Satisfied that it was temporary, that and getting away from the pervert would do her wonders.

Unfortunately for Jiraiya who stepped out a moment later, a pair of Anbu kunoichi were standing outside. They had overheard choice parts of the conversation through the walls and door (while missing many others of course,) then they see a young teenage girl run off, and a famed pervert step out of the shadows. Oh there would be a reckoning.

"W-Wait. I k-know what you're thinking! B-but-" the rest of his statement was lost in his screams as he took off running from the violent kunoichi now chasing him. "N-Naruto! Heeeellllp!" he shouted as he ran right passed said temporary girl, who watched as he was pursed with a bemused smirk.

"Serves you right, pervert!" she sneered a bit as she walked off to the main parts of the village, planning to buy some clothes for the week. Quickly realizing she knew nothing about it, she decided on meeting with the one Genin he knew could help her. Ino Yamanaka.

[_Konoha_: _Yamanaka Flower Shop_]

(Note: Naruto will be referred to using female pronouns, for the time being. Above there was a bit of misdirection, sorry if it confused you.)

Naruto frowned as she slipped into the flower shop of her teammate's rival, almost tripping on her own clothing. Looking around the shop she realized she'd spent little time in the small shop, and didn't even know if Ino worked it often or not. She looked to the counter after a moment, to see an older man relaxing behind the counter reading a magazine or perhaps a catalog, muttering to himself for a moment as he closed the catalog and looking up with a smile.

"Hello, welcome to Yamanaka Flower Shop-" Inoichi began before his brow twitched a bit, noticing a female, blond, blue eyed girl with whisker marks, dressed in overly large shinobi clothes. He wondered if Naruto had any idea of what he was doing. "Naruto-san…why are you…in that appearance?" the elder Yamanaka's harsher voice made the 'girl' flinch as she began to tell the man the whole story, spilling out everything in a frantic way. Inoichi was good at pressing for information without speaking after all. Despite Naruto's attempts at otherwise, a bit of tears welled up when she explained the experience with Jiraiya subconsciously playing on the elder man's emotions. Jiraiya far off from them, twitched violently in the small beaten ball he currently occupied in the Hokage's office while the elder awaited his regaining consciousness.

"I see. So then…why are you here?" Naruto sniffed a bit, and looked up innocently.

"Looking for Ino. She knows a lot about clothes I should buy while I am stuck like this." Inoichi nodded, it sounded reasonable enough. He informed the transformed boy which training ground his daughter resided in, and watched as the Genin left, not noticing the slight grin on her face. After all, Naruto used to be the master of pranks, a bit of emotional manipulation was just the beginning of the tricks she would pull to avoid something like the elder Yamanaka's anger. She would eternal thank the old man for the books, especially the part about infiltration.

Naruto headed off to the nearby training ground, it wasn't quite as secluded as some, but it wasn't meant for the heavy combat training that Team 7 and Team Gai preformed. Ino was seemingly resting against a tree as Naruto walked up. She was more than observant enough to notice the tensing of her figure, and the dark look she started to give her, even as she approached.

"What are you…doing here? Especially like that." Ino grumbled, glaring at the opposing blonde openly.

"Err…well. You see, I sorta need some help." Naruto scratched the back of her head embarrassed before looking away "I am kinda stuck like this for a while…"

Ino shook her head dismissively, looking up to the leaves on the tree above her, she couldn't look that the other Genin for too long it made her head hurt. "Liar, that's completely impossible. I remember you using this stupid technique before in class, so drop it, and leave me be."

"No, it's not! It's not the same! I really am stuck, and I can prove it!" Ino closed her eyes in annoyance, before groaning internally, figuring that humoring Naruto would get the object of her anger to leave her.

"Then prove it!" she shouted back, frustrated. Naruto blushed a bit and moved right next to Ino, making the natural female all the more uncomfortable. Then Naruto grabbed her hand, and looked at her defiantly. "W-Wait, what are you-" she paused as she felt Naruto press her hand against his…or rather _her _bare chest. Naruto looked like a bright red cherry, and Ino tried to dispel the technique, tried to break it. Eliciting a small sound from the blond girl in her hands, and she quickly took back her hand.

"B-But…how?"

"Sensei said it was the interaction between some experimental seals I've been working on, and my own advanced version of the Transformation Jutsu." Naruto's soft feminine voice was a bit shakey, and Ino could even notice a couple of tears in the corner of the girl's eyes. Ino figured it was from her own rough treatment of the girl's body.

"W-Well, what do you want from me then?"

"I-I need-" she broke off and looked away muttering under her breath.

"What?" Ino growled.

"I need help finding clothes that fit…and are…proper for a girl to wear. I could be stuck like this for a week, or judging from my sensei's inherent perversion clouding his judgement…longer." Ino frowned, she thought about it for a moment but then shook her head.

"Refused."

"B-But why? Why are you so mean!" Naruto cried out, obviously frustrated as she looked to the frowning face of her comrade.

"Why don't you ever understand? I hate you. I positively despise you! You are a liar! You are just waiting for us to let our guard down so you can strike at us! I see it! You think I was blind?" Ino stood, easily noticing she was now taller than Naruto, who for her part was shocked silent. "I know you, I learned the hard way. You can't be trusted; you are a monster hiding behind a façade. You've proven it a thousand times. That monsterous killing intent? That evil look in your eyes. You are just what they think of you! You are a demon aren't you? You're the Kyuubi!" she screamed huffing and puffing, having gotten the feelings off of her chest. She expected to feel some pain, as the fox's power cut into her, or an aura to crush her soul into her body. Something. Anything. What she didn't expect to hear was crying, or at least sniffling, and someone trying to hold back tears.

"I-I am n-not the-" Naruto stuttered trying to tell Ino, but the denial brought her rage back to the fore of her mind, and she snarled.

"Liar! Liar! I've seen…I've felt it…they punish you for it! I've lived their memories! They torment you to make you pay for your sins! T-They…" Ino looks to a petrified Naruto, just the pure innocent look on the girls face, mixed with memories of dozens of people. Her stomach turns, and she looks away leaning around the tree as she released the building bile in her stomach. The pain, the tears, the hurt…but the memories of a nearly dead boy at the feet of several civilians, who only run away when the demon is beaten out of consciousness. In private lauded as heroes by some, but publicly they must hide, for the demon has control of the Hokage. Her body aches as the memories begin to overwhelm her again, she leans against the tree gasping in pain. Ino remembers the punishment of one of the men. One who was allowed to live as a reminder to those who break the law of the Sandaime Hokage. The images, the feelings…she can feel everything spiraling inwards as she tries to hold on to herself. She remembers only one mind that wanted to genuinely protect the de…to protect Naruto, or the Kyuubi or…whatever he was.

"Ino?" her world snapped back into focus suddenly when she felt the soft touch of the female Naruto behind her. She yanked herself away, falling back with a boneless feeling. Unable to even move as she fell, much less enough to catch herself, Ino clenched her eyes shut. Knowing silently that she would fall head first onto the hard roots of the tree. She counted the moments, until a loud sound caught her attention arms holding her tightly and loud, heavy breathing in her ear. Ino startled into motion, falling softly to the side of the blond who had caught her from her fall. Ino looked the female Naruto over, she was completely winded, eyes closed, and in pain. Bright seals flashed on her skin every few moments. She looked into the other girl's face, she leaned in closer as she noticed the twitching in the girl's face. "Are you…okay?" she whimpered out, barely able to open an eye without hissing in pain.

"Why did you-" Ino began but she saw a flash of a bright, if pained, smile. For a moment she remembered how she used to see Naruto. A happy goofball, a clown, but the type of person who would help a friend even if it meant hurting himself, or becoming the target of the entire class's ire just to spare someone else embarrassment.

"Why else? You are my comrade! My…friend." Naruto's soft female voice startled her with how resolute it sounded. Ino wanted to believe her, but…she had to be certain.

"Alright…I'll…trust you, but I have to know first…" Naruto cracked an eye open to see and unfamiliar handsign before she felt her presence overlap with Ino's for a moment, it was the strangest feeling. Then not a moment later Ino collapsed into her limp arms, forcing out a squeak of pain from the temporary girl.

"Kami, I hate being stuck as a girl." She grumbled tiredly as all of her energy melted away, and she fell back slightly, her back now against the same tree she'd met Ino at.

Close by a single female Anbu watched closely, taking mental notes of what to report to the Hokage, and other notes about what to report to her Master.

[_Hokage's Office_]

Sarutobi frowned as he listened to Jiraiya's words, explanations, and slowly noticed that same look of distrust on the man's face. "What are you still holding out from me?" this time Sarutobi's face didn't take a soft, weakened expression but rather a hardened on. Jiraiya shivered as he looked into the cold eyes of his sensei, he could only imagine would make that look appear on the elder man's face. Suddenly he wasn't certain he wanted to know. He groaned as one of his ribs protested his movements. "I need to know what it is. You know that."

"I didn't tell you, simply because it shouldn't be mentioned. When Naruto turned ten, he learned a great deal. Some of it was sabotaged information made to cause him failure, however somehow the boy took the failures, and miraculously innovated them into successes. I was amazed when he first told me of the 'Perfected Transformation Jutsu'. I was going to wait ask for the way to use it when he was older, in case he wished to keep it once he knew of his family. To make it a family technique." Sarutobi paused a bit, and sighed before standing and looking out the window of his office. "However, someone caught wind of this, and who knows why. They developed a specialized technique to allow them to manipulate the changes, the only requirement for them was the jutsu to be in use. Or at least I suppose it was. Inoichi seemed to believe so…"

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed a bit at the implications. "What happened?"

"Jonin Minru Junta, kidnapped Naruto for a duration of two months. Keeping him hidden in his family's manor house, he proceeded to torture, and manipulate the young boy into transforming into his wife that had died in the attack…" Sarutobi stopped and gripped at his heart, his breath quiet and harsh. Jiraiya was frozen in place, unable to even think. Rage. Barely restrained, as he watched the reigning Hokage return to his seat, a bit tired looking as he rested his head in his hands. "From Inoichi's estimations, Naruto was raped well over a dozen times, before he snapped. He couldn't handle that man's twisted, and depraved needs. He gave in just enough to stay sane." Sarutobi looked up to Jiraiya, his eyes hard but something seemed weaker behind them. "Inoichi refused to detail the acts done to the boy. Calling them inhuman, disgusting, and by far the most horrible, gut wrenching things he'd ever seen."

That made even Jiraiya pale, as he looked to his sensei and gulped a bit. "So what did you do?"

"We destroyed what of it we could, but a lot of it was too deeply ingrained in his psyche to completely destroy. So we sealed it, using Naruto's own chakra. Then Inoichi altered the way Naruto's subconscious dealt with the jutsu so that, while physical it would dissipate when damaged. Afterwards, Naruto's attitude seemed to be off a bit but in a positive manner so we didn't adjust it further. Just to be safe, too much removed could make him snap in another way." Then, with heavy shoulders the elder man sighed, picking up his pipe and leaned back in his chair. "I think that whatever seal you made for his memory, was the same we used. So they merged, and in doing so some of the false memories were destroyed. Mixed with the newer seals, and Naruto's own problems…I am certain that this is going to end badly. I must impress upon you that he must not interact with those memories. Who knows what the result could be."

Jiraiya stood up, moving to leave and looked back to his sensei "What happened to Minru?" Sarutobi's eyes hardened, and he looked away from Jiraiya.

"He was broken out, two days after capture. It was believed by Ryu to have been a Root operative. I disbanded Root a day later." Jiraiya frowned and nodded. There would be a reckoning, but first he had to find his student.

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Ino groaned as she looked around herself, she was expecting many things. A horror of unimaginable proportions, or even some kind of dank dark wonderland that would have confirmed her theories about what he was. She would have at least expected some leaky aged structure. Instead she found herself in an empty room with four doors, and a single overhead light, to her it seemed too simple, too subdued to be Naruto's but incredibly enough it had to be.

One door, she noted to be the one directly in front of where she awoke in his (or her at the moment) mind, was sealed heavily with strips covered with the kanji for 'forbidden' written all over them. She quickly decided that if she was going in there at all, she would do it last.

To her right the door read in rich, and somehow cultured kanji 'Precious Memories'. Ino was certain that would have to be an important stop on her journey, as she turned to look behind her and blinked a bit. This door was beaten, worn, and seemed to scream from use. It's kanji was worn and barely legible 'Determined Memories'. Ino wasn't too sure about that door, but the fourth door was by far the most baffling of the four. In this stone, cold, dark room was a clean, shiny wooden door with a sign hanging from it reading 'Memories to learn from.'

Without even wasting a moment more Ino move to step into the door to see what Naruto felt he needed to learn from, but something held her back. She shivered as she could feel it again. The other memories, the dark memories of those men and woman she'd stepped into. The minds of several people pushing within her own, trying to consume her. Then, she felt it more than saw it, as if a cold breath crawled down her spine. The forbidden door swung wide open, ripping all of the seals like tissue, as dozens of spectral arms seemed to pour out. Pulling Ino into the darkness that laid beyond the doorway. Every attempt to stop herself seemed to only make the specters pull harder. As she slipped into the darkness, her eyes widened as the figures of the eight people whose hatred for Naruto she'd found out from their own minds, were standing just beyond the doorway smiling madly even as the darkness closed in locking her away in the darkness.

The figures all slowly began to fade away slowly leaving behind a snickering figure cloaked in blood red, eyes glowing like a pair of furnaces, a wicked and fanged smile on its face even as it holds up a single hand to the door, and snaps its clawed fingers extinguishing the single light within the room, drowning it in darkness.

[_End Chapter: Note_]

Just a warning. The next chapter may have graphic, and dark sequences as listed in the first chapter. I hoped this satisfies those looking for longer chapters, as not including this note, this chapter is half again as long as the next largest chapter. I was going to continue, but I felt this was a good stopping point. I suspect two or three more chapters until the finals.


	20. Chuunin Exams: Memories of Darkness II

[_Author's Note: Light Spoilers- Review Response to confusion_]

Alright so there seems to be some confusion, that my reviewers have noticed. So I went back to check it over to be certain. I have both hinted (and at one point blatantly referred) to the fact that Haku and Zabuza

didn't really have a choice in the matter. Sarutobi called for them, and basically subtly threatened them. It will be even more directly mentioned soon enough, but Haku's return wasn't really something she wanted.

Sarutobi thought the truth would set Naruto free, not really completely able to understand the boys feelings on the matter. So no, it wasn't some strange need to crush his life that brought them to Konoha.

It was a misguided Kage, thinking he knew what was best for Naruto. Once again, this is something that isn't going away just yet, so for the full explanation (the how's, where's, whys, and what's)…you'll have to wait and see.

[_Warning: This Chapter contains Heavy Dark Themes, If you do not wish to read them then please skip to the bottom for an Author's Note concerning the chapter._]

Sarutobi frowned as he looked to the girl that had been found broke, terrified, and unwilling to even awaken under the most powerful of jutsu to do just that. It was as if she'd completely shut down. Now over a week later, he was looking at her. She was being interrogated, but Sarutobi knew that as a Jonin she'd give nothing worth having. They wouldn't hold her much longer. She was unable to harm any of his Shinobi, unable to glean anything of use, and was certainly not involved with the explosion at the Anbu headquarters. Sarutobi was literally about to keel over, the stress of the past few weeks beginning to overwhelm him. "Sir?" one of the masked Anbu asked as Sarutobi moved to leave, not even casually looking back to the masked figure, the Hokage merely gave an order. "Free her. Use method seven, chemical based unconsciousness until released. If that doesn't work, dump her out passage fourteen." Then he was gone, and the Anbu quickly alerted the interrogator.

Far off, back in his office, Sarutobi began to write up some orders in case he was unable to make it. In case he fell to this ill feeling he held within himself. Then there was the events going on around him. He suspected that there was much beneath the surface that he was unaware. He knew Ryu was deep in an investigation, keeping to himself. Then there were the disappearances of several citizens over the past few weeks. Then there were the events that all seemed to be interconnected at a single point, all gathered together to see if Konoha will retake its place from after the third shinobi world war. To attempt to stop the entire country, Sarutobi knew that they only saw one target. Konoha's Lightning God. Naruto Uzumaki.

To be certain he took steps to make sure that Naruto would be at his peak in two weeks. To be certain that the boy would show the entire shinobi world Konoha's strength, power, and ability. To do that some things had to change, things had to grow, and some needed to be pruned. Sarutobi had kept a log of everything, and when Naruto succeeded becoming a Chuunin he would tell him everything himself. This was the end of an era, and the beginning of a new age. An age that both left him in wonder, and yet paralyzed him with terror. There was something deeper behind all of this. Something hiding beneath the scenes of the action around them, around all of them not just Konoha. He was certain he wasn't going to be around long enough to know what, but he had to do something.

Sarutobi hoped that the Will of Fire would carry them through the coming storm her could see on the horizon. He prayed desperately, but in the end, the only thing he could try to do, was prepare.

[_Mindscape_]

'Darkness.

Why does it always have to be so bleak? No mind, touched by the ninja life is bright. No, not even one; it's as if the very essence of training in chakra was a curse for the soul. A darkness deeper than anything a normal person could create. Even still a thousand shinobi couldn't create something half as bleak as this place. It's so cold here, like all the warmth in the world was sucked out of it. What part of Naruto's mind could this be? Is it possible that this isn't-'

Ino's thoughts were brought to a halt when suddenly the room was bright; she realized she was in a basement of a house within Konoha. One like her own, but this one had a strong metal reinforced door in the corner. It was poorly lit, and the walls covered in sharp, dangerous tools. A bright smiling face was soon close to her own; almost as if it was any further away she'd be unable to see him. The hard metal of a Konoha headband stood out on the man's head especially against his dark hair, and black eyes. He seemed to be almost ghostly from his pale flesh, then he gave her a better look as he pulled away. He was a slightly older man, perhaps in her sensei's age range. "How are you, my Hime?" he said with a sick, slightly deranged tone in his voice. She shivered a bit, a strange feeling of both dread, and a bit of desire mixed in her stomach.

"I am so happy to see you, Master." Ino felt her lips say in a happy sing song voice that was most certainly not her own, but she couldn't place it either. Ino shivered as she slowly realized where she had to be as the man stepped away. She was in a very dangerous place. She had fallen into, (or _sucked_ into) Naruto's own memories not as an observer as most techniques would allow, but as the subject themselves. Ino's thoughts melted away as a blue light shinned in her face. She stared forwards into the light, all of her will melting into the light.

"Oh Hime! My Hime. I know how scared you are of me. I know. This fake form of yours…but you will soon enough never have to think about it again." The light darkened and Ino's mind snapped back into focus, and in sheer curiosity Ino decided to look to herself to see her 'fake form'. A moment later she almost screamed, but her body wouldn't respond. She was resting in a restraining chair, and had several blades stabbed into her flesh, her body was definitely more mature, she figured she was about the same age as some of the female Jonin were, like her own sensei's girlfriend, Kurenai. She suddenly found her attentions enraptured again by the blue light, and when she recovered she was her normal self again somehow but still tied to the chair. She attempted to struggle but a surge of pain filled her entire body, as a bright red light was shined in her eyes.

"Hmm. Silly girl. Bad girl. Say it will me." Ino shivered as the man reached out and touched her skin. "Tell me who you are." He commanded now using a yellow light. Something deep in the mind walker told her to resist, and she did her best. "Tell me your name, invasive little mind walker." He whispered as Ino groaned a bit her body rebelling against her, lips quivering, her heart pounding. She wanted to say the words so much, but at the same time something in the back of her mind told her it could cost her something. "Tell me…or your little friend will suffer for it." Then he stepped aside to show Naruto in the same state he had been in when she'd subsumed the memory with herself, but back in his natural male state. She could feel her cheeks heat up before she closed her eyes.

"Ino Yamanaka." She whispered and a clap startled her. A sudden, thunderous noise as it was. The man was smiling as he touched her cheek. "Ino. Ino. I know of you. A girl. I will assume that you are older when you see this for the first time. Mind walkers. Always poking around. Well, at least you are weak willed. I suppose your father never warned you against stepping into the memories of another, especially one with the trauma's I inflict." Ino shiver a bit as she moved to say something. A keyword that she could use to release her and turn off the jutsu. The moment she moved to she found herself enthralled again by the blue light, then as if mixing two of them together the yellow joined it. "You will not free yourself like that, little mind walker. You are only free when I release you." Then the lights were gone.

Ino blinked a bit, and tried to remember the words to deactivate the technique, but failed. "Now then, you must either be young, reckless, stupid, or unlucky to have ended up in such a state. See I know plenty of things about your kind. That's why I placed this little command network deep into Naruto's subconscious, so if any of you accidently slipped up." He snapped his fingers. "You'd be stuck in lil' Hime. Then with her own conditioning affecting her, a few blue washes to open you to the treatments. I wonder…how long do you think you've been here? How long do you think I've been conditioning you. Relatively of course." Ino didn't even look to him, but shivered. "If you are as weak as I am assuming you were, I conditioned you, in Hime's mind for a week. That's why you are still so susceptible." Ino wanted to growl but the man's hands pressed itself to her cheek, and slid down almost slimily to her chest. "I am going to ruin you, make you like my little Hime." He gestured to a blank eyed Naruto again, before cupping her cheeks in her hand.

"If you surrender, I will make it quick. I will end the pain. You can just give in." Ino suddenly wanted to scream, but the tight grip on her jaw made it come out as a loud groan. In the sadist's other hand was a single kunai, now dug into her leg, deep enough it stuck into the chair. "Hmm. No. No. First. Hime must be given her treatment. You'll watch." Ino shivered a bit, she couldn't think. The words were swimming in her head. The burning desire to obey, mixing with the ideas of surrender to the insane man.

"So, my Hime. Take the form of our guest." Ino shivered, and watched horrified as Naruto took on a perfect representation of herself. "Now, how about we watch your future unfold…Ino Yamanaka." He chuckled insanely, before taking steps towards the glazy eyed duplicate, and Ino wanted to scream as when he touched Naruto's cheek, licking from jaw to ear…she felt it as well.

"It's going to be so much fun!"

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

[_Training Field_]

Jiraiya frowned as he stepped into the training field that Ino and Naruto had occupied earlier. He looked down to the tracking toad he'd had to find them. The smaller toad looked around confused.

"I am sorry, Jiraiya-sama. This is where the trail ends."

"What!" he shouted in surprise, eyes bugging out of his skull for a moment.

"Yes, it seems as if someone destroyed the trail. I cannot follow further."

"Where the hell could he be?" Jiraiya grumbled before he noticed some of the gear littered around. Taking a moment he noticed some details, and pulled a single long hair from a branch. "I think I found a new trail…"

[_Mindscape_]

Ino gasped as she felt invisible hands dance over her skin. The man's touch, his kisses, the heat of his skin. She could feel it all, and she couldn't even mutter a word to make him stop. To do so could mean giving into him. Something was forcing her to resist. She needed to resist. She knew it more and more as time went on, but the desire to call out seemed to grow as well. It was almost maddeningly slow, each touch seemed to be solely focused at making her want the next one even more. Ino's mind was barely holding together, her hips shifting in her seat, as if she was the one grinding against the man's leg.

Then suddenly the feels faded. Ino's mind began to clear, even as she began to pant. Her curiosity as to what changed, brought her eyes to the scene before her. Her own body, though in reality it was Naruto, was pressed to her capture's lips locked. But the false Ino's eye was locked on her. Ino shivered a bit, as she realized that Naruto was the reason she was safe, but how?

Naruto gasped as she in Ino shape was suddenly pushed against the wall, a hand roughly holding her to the wall. Even with Naruto's help Ino gasped as her throat constricted the air barely able to pass by. "You like it? I don't feel like we have eternity, so how about the main course?" Ino gasped, wanting to clutch at her own throat as the pain grew. Panic was written across her counterpart's face, even as she reached out towards Ino weakly. Then the mind walker was gone, as if she'd never been there.

"Impressive willpower. But can you save yourself?" the man said as he turn back to the Ino look-a-like in his grip, and watched as she changed back into the form her real body was in, a female Naruto. Her eyes seemed a bit dulled from the overwhelming effort she'd put herself under.

He toss Naruto onto the chair and smiled villainously, even as he walked towards her. His clothes seemed to melt away as he moved up to her. Unwilling to even stop for a moment, he picked the girl up into his arms. Naruto suddenly moved into resistance, screaming into the large man's ears. "No! Stop! Stop please! Not this! Not again. Not again!" she whined out even as he smiled and pushed her back against the wall, pulling back to get a look at the helpless, frightened look in the girl's eyes. He loved it, he savored it.

"I see it's all come back to you. Naru-chan." Then with a powerful thrust of his hips, Naruto screamed out her voice cracking as tears of pain, and even fear fell from her eyes. "I will leave you shattered, broken. You will be begging for this when it's all over." He jeered, each word emphasized by a thrust of his hips, and a weak mewling scream from Naruto. One of his hands moving to pull the hair out of the blonde's face, and getting a better look in at her face. He wasn't surprised by her lack of real resistance, her body was betraying her, just as he'd trained it to.

"Ple-Plea-" she gasped out, her hands trying weakly to push him back, but she seemed no stronger than a child against the man's strength. She leaned her head back with each thrust, each penetration making her world grow darker, and darker.

"I will make you feel it. You will never forget me. You little whore." He whispered roughly

"I-I am…I-I am…n-not…"

"Lie to yourself now, you'll see the truth soon enough…"

[_Unknown Location_]

Ino groaned as she woke up, her head burning in pain.

Her eyes glanced around the room, she found herself bound down to a table. The room was completely empty from what she could see. "What? Where? I was-"

"In Uzumaki's mind. Yes." The voice brought a shiver up her spine as the very man she'd encountered in the young Jinchuriki's mind stood before her, unchanged. He reached out to touch her cheek and she screamed, terror filling her chest even as he approached. "I should be thanking you. Without you, I might have had to do something drastic to get back my little peach." Ino seemed shocked by the man's words, was she really responsible for…for all of that.

"Either way, its not like you two will be found in time. I will have my fun with you, and then I will leave you. Your father will be horrified when he tries to repair what will be left." He reached forwards and then smiled as he touched her head, she shivered away, but she could hear it. The screams, moments later her body burning burning in both agony and pleasure, she could feel it between her legs. Inside of her, it was moving. Hard, fast. The pain was searing as she tried to resist it, but the more she did, the more it burned. She realized this was Naruto's pain, and whatever this man did made it her own, even with what Naruto attempted to do to save her from it.

"W-Why!" she screamed as she felt liquids pooling against her thighs, and tears tore themselves from her eyes. "What did we do to you?"

"Naru-chan? She did nothing. It's merely sport. You?" he leaned forwards, and smiled his teeth pearly white, eyes shining with rage for a moment, and then his hand pushed between her legs, luckily still clothed but still making her gasp in pain, her attention barely on the man before her. "Revenge." That word burned in her mind, even as she gasped, her body going through a spasm in her bounds. The man moved back for a moment before happily pulling a needle from a case and jabbing it into her neck. With a quick depression, Ino worried as well as she could before she felt her thoughts becoming softer in her head, she blinked a bit as if trying to see through the fog. Then, a burning horrible pain wracked her body, "Ah!" she screamed out only a single sound before she was silent, her screams beyond her ability to vocalize.

Long moments passed with his eyes merely watching as the pain burned through her. Then, Ino's hips began to shift as the pain began to subside, as a rush of pleasure filled her body, even as it made her feel sick to her stomach. Her throat letting a sickening moan escape from the overwhelming feelings of pleasure, her eyes snapping shut, even as a sticky feeling crawled down her throat. She was dying she had to be! The movement seemed so real! The heat in her, the tearing, the pain that once filled her, now like a pleasurable drug. Her hips bucking once, then again. She couldn't even resist when she felt her long dark kunoichi pants pulled down her legs. She could feel the slickness against her thighs, even as the cool air pulsed across her skin. Slowly she could feel herself begin to pant in pleasure, drool slipping down her chin.

"You like that, eh Ino-chan? A lovely drug. It shifts the feelings of pain and makes them into pleasure." He spoke, but Ino's mind barely registered the words. Her mind aching as she struggled. She didn't even know what she wanted her body was on fire.

"Help me…" she whispered in pleasure, her mind swirling in pleasure even as the man leaned down to her lips as if he couldn't hear her.

"Sorry? I couldn't hear you. Did you say something."

"I need…help!" she gasp as she bucked again feeling more liquid seeping down her legs, tears began to fill her vision.

"What kind of help?"

"I need…I need…I don't know! But I need it!" she gasped out even as she sobbed her hands flailing in their restraints even as her feet were planted on the table.

The man smiled a bit before laughing. "I know what to give you, but you are not ready. So…" he moved from her vision, it lasted only moments. Then he returned with a still unconscious body in hand, a nude blond girl. Then he moved over and calmly removed Ino's top, which she didn't recognize as the one she'd been wearing before. Then with no more ceremony, he dropped the unconscious form of Naruto onto Ino, and she gasped. Then with a step up to the table, Ino moaned as she felt something rubbing up against her in between Naruto and her. It made her burn in hunger for it. She needed it.

"Say it. Tell me what you want, and you'll get it. Otherwise…I'll give it to Naru-chan." Ino's mind burned as she thrust her hips again and gasped as she felt Naruto's body shift unknowingly, her leg slipping down to touch her hungry womanhood. Ino wanted to scream.

"I-I…fuck!" Ino cursed, even as he smiled darkly. "Just do it! Please! I need…release…it keeps building up." She whined in pain, in the greatest agony she could imagine, the pleasure having grown to the point where her nerves were burning out everywhere. "J-Just fuck me, I need it!" The man laughed at her surrender, even if she didn't understand why she said it. He merely smiled as he pushed against her panties, using a slight movement of his hand to pull them aside.

"Good! I can't wait to make a Yamanaka pregnant." He grunted even as Ino screamed in pleasure, her mind melting under the assault. Never realizing the subtle touches the man had placed on her, as she felt the real thing. It was nothing like the fact feelings through the bound he had forged between her and Naruto. Her body aching with each thrust, but as she feels her release wracking through her, a slow realization. She was being…violated by the very man who had…who had…

Ino felt bile in her throat even as she tried to kick him off, but her legs twitching in pleasure, even as a warm sticky feeling filled her stomach quickly, as if all the man wanted was to please himself he stopped Ino's releases going away. Ino gasped out the dry sobs, her eyes long since dry from the tears she already cried. The pain building up, the desires melting through her. His words curling in her ears. Ino whimpered as she bucked her hips, and felt Naruto move again ontop of her, and a sultry moan escaped her lips, a part of her wondering if she lost even more than she knew to the foul man.

Then an idea struck her. She bucked again, remembering a skill she knew, and pressed her forehead forwards, touching it momentarily to Naruto's, then going limp again.

"Nice move, Yamanaka-chan. Time was almost up anyway. I wonder what you will do…"

[_Mindscape_]

Ino stumbled into Naruto's memories right where she left, and gasped as she saw the girl laying on the floor huddled up. She'd never seen someone so…so…well she didn't know a word for what she saw. '_So like me_…' a dark part of her mind whispered, realizing the strange feeling of the seeping feelings were still there, even if they were reduced through the jutsu. She tried to clear her thoughts before that defense mechanism that sick bastard put in Naruto's head comes back. She looked at the disgusting scene that was left behind. Naruto reaked of the sticky fluids that covered her, and filled her in more ways than one. Ino knew it, she could feel it as well.

"Naruto?" she whispered as she reached out the girl, her blue eyes looking up into Ino's weakly.

"W-Why…did you…come back?" Naruto asked weakly

"I-I need you. I need to _save_ you!" she quickly amended, and a thought of the events of the day still made her ill. "We need to escape. You need to wake up!" she called in a panic.

"I-Ino…I am…worthless. Y-You should just leave…" Ino was shocked. This wasn't the boy she knew, collapsed in a girl's body. Could it be? Naruto finally gave in to something?

"No! No! You…You are Naruto Uzumaki!" she gasped even as tears fell from her eyes. She didn't want to give in even more, she wanted Naruto to just sit up, and pretend he was okay. She was scared. She was hurting. "You never ever give up! I-I know I never said it…but…but I always thought it was cool…how you never surrendered to failure, to pain, to adversity. You are stronger than this…so please! Please…" she whimpered at the end.

"You think it will help? That boy is barely a piece of broken glass. As he is now, he is no more than a doll for my games." The voice was back, she had failed. "So now I will have second doll." The feelings in her mindscape were beginning to melt into her. She moaned a bit even as she bit her lower lip. It was too much, her body was shaking. She was finished. It was over. They'd lost to him.

"No…" Ino whimpered even as she closed her eyes, even as she slowly began to give in.

"Amazing." A strong voice said, making Ino jump, and the tall man pause. In the corner a barely visible looking ghost of the real Naruto stepped forwards, and smiled "Thank you, Ino-chan." Then he seemingly collapsed into the fallen girl. Then a moment later, another, and then another, and another. Dozens of Narutos all merged with the resting girl beside her. Ino watched in awe, even as she watched as the gloom began to lift. The feeling in her body began to disappear. Then the entire place faded away, the disgusting visage of the man screaming silently as the room faded away.

"Thank you. Ino." The sweet soft voice of the girl before her almost made her jump, they were sitting in the darkness now. "We should head back." Ino blinked as she looked to herself, and gave the blond girl a tight hug, and sobbed a bit.

"Thank you! Thank you! I-I am so sorry…this was my fault!" Ino shouted, hugging Naruto tightly.

"Nah, consider it all in the past." Naruto's famous smile, and forgiving nature washed over Ino. Her mind exhausted even as they left Naruto's mindscape.

[_Unknown Location_]

Ino groaned a bit. Naruto shifted in the chair she was in and blinked a bit. They were in a cell, but it was quiet. No one was around, and she felt just fine. She looked over to the girl in her cell. She too seemed unharmed. Could it all have been a hallucination? If so why were they here? An explosion somewhere beyond the cell, made her curious even as she moved to stand to defend Ino. "I got you, rest easy. Ino-chan." Naruto said with a confident smile, and Ino snuggled up to the now familiar smell of the blond Jinchuriki, even in her sleep. Naruto smiled as she saw the bond he'd forged with the mind walker.

Outside the cell, the man who had captured the pair frowned at the hole blown in the wall. There standing before him was a reaper of death, with another even more frightening pair of reapers. The abductor was faced with Ryu of the Anbu, Jiraiya of the Sannin, and the Sandaime Hokage himself.

"Damn. I didn't expect you three together. I don't think this will be much of a fight." The man grumbled in annoyance.

"Where are they? Minru Junta!" Jiraiya hissed in anger as he stepped forwards. The man merely laughed a bit before shrugging.

"Whatever, you should be thanking me. I am a master! I have forged for you a wonderful pair of tools. I am certain my Genjutsu will have made a lovely pair of seductresses!" he laughed madly, even as Jiraiya growled in rage, but Junta didn't care. He'd already figured it was over. Then he suddenly frowned. "Shit. I can't believe it…who is that kid? Hmm…he will be quite fun to play with later I suppose."

"Later? You aren't even going to step out of here." Jiraiya hissed as he slammed a fist into the man's chest, before he disappeared in smoke.

"Sorry. I decided to leave early…" a prerecorded message played and Jiraiya screamed in anger.

"Naruto! Are you okay?" Sarutobi called, easily breaking a genjutsu hiding the cell door. When he looked inside, to see Naruto holding a relieved looking female Naruto, who gave the Hokage a warm smile and nodded calmly her eyes looking to her friend's form, without even a bit of regret for what had happened, but pain was still hidden behind her eyes as the moved back to the old Hokage.

"It might take some time to sort it all out…but for now…it's all right." Then with a resolute look, she leaned back and fell into a calm sleep, resting her mind and escaping a torture she'd been carrying around for three years.

[_Chapter End_]

This was a harder chapter for me. It wasn't as long as I expected, but I think it got the point across. More will be explained about the experience next chapter, but far less graphically.

For those who couldn't read this, please come back for the next chapter. It will summarize many of the things that happened.


	21. Chuunin Exams: One Month Later

Minru Junta grunted as he slipped into the small room, deep under the catacombs of Konoha. He shifted his shoulders a bit as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, pulls one out with a slow, almost dramatic slowness and puts one into his mouth. He doesn't bother to light it up. His eyes scanned the darkness before he began to get annoyed. He waited and waited. Time seemed to slink by, he looked behind himself a bit worriedly. He knew that the Anbu, and maybe even Jiraiya would be able to find him here soon enough. He could feel his hands shaking slightly. A part of him wondered why he even agreed to come back here.

"I see you completed your mission." A cool, low voice said from the darkness.

"Y-Yes! B-But I still don't understand. Besides there not being a mark on the 'boy' and the girl…I just don't understand any of it."

"What makes you think you were supposed to understand my reasons?" The voice replied, the tone became sharper.

"W-Wait, you…you knew didn't you! You knew that the seal would be gone…then why was I supposed to…" Junta was becoming more and more worried.

"I told you to do exactly as I wanted you to do. No more, no less. I need things to have a balance. To get this balance, I needed the Kyuubi…in a particular state." The voice seemed to be mocking Junta from the darkness.

"B-But all you've done…all you had me do was..." then something struck the man and his eyes widened as he took a step back from the direction the voice came from. "N-No…why! I thought you wanted to destroy this place!" Junta screamed in a rage, the echoing of his voice bounced throughout the caverns.

"Hmm. I needed your power. I needed you to keep the game interesting, _Junta-kun_. Nothing more." Junta gulped at the way the man said his name, it made his skin crawl.

"With this…with this…he'll…this was your plan! It's mad! I should have killed them! I should have…do you have any idea what you've had me do! I-I…" the man's panic brought a mirth filled chuckle from the darkness, even as something glimmered from the shadows, and Junta somehow knew it was the eyes of his onetime master.

"Genjutsu. Shintekijutsu (1). All culminated with a man depraved enough to bring two teenagers to brink of insanity, through extreme hardship. Then to make sure the illusion of your demise is perfect…leave a trail behind you so that you are easily followed, even to here." The voice chuckled again, and Junta's panic became obvious. Suddenly the door slammed behind him, and the room grew even darker somehow.

"N-No…I-I can still have use! I am a strong shinobi. Please!" he begged the darkness, but the man already knew deep down, his knowledge of the human mind was unparalleled. The man he was facing…he was a traitor, so he should have seen it. He too, had been betrayed.

"No. You've done more than enough. These past few years you've served me well. I will however, have to say your usefulness has ended. _Junta-kun_. You have created the bond, and now using all ofmmy power, and all of my hatred…_I will break it_." The voice laughed insanely and with a panic in his heart, Junta sprinted for the door. "Tch, Foolish boy." a sharp snapping sound filled the room a moment later before Junta gargled in agony. He felt a blister of pain, and in a delirium his eyes attempted to see the blade that now pierced his throat his hands reaching up to touch it. Before he laid even a fingertip on the sword, he collapsed the life drained from him, even as the blade slide from him without any resistance floating over to the hands of its master.

With soft steps the man who stood in the shadows stood over the body of the now dead Junta with a wicked grin, his features being lightly illuminated from the light that was pouring into the room from beneath the sealed door. "Oh, poor Junta-kun. I will promise you this. With all that you have done…Hell will not be kind. Not at all. Though…" then with a wicked slash of the same sword, the man's head was splattered like a melon cut in half, a wicked slurping sound echoed when his brain slushed to the floor like jelly. "…I can't wait, I can't wait! I want to see it…I want to see them. I want to ruin them! Kukukuhehehahaha!…all according the Moon and Eye plan…" he continued his mad laughter even as he disappeared in to the darkness, just a moment before the door slammed open, several Anbu filling the room in an instant. The light filling it completely, illuminating the small space deep below Konoha, the Anbu holding the lights all focused on one location in the room.

They concentrated on the one and only thing they found within. The mangled corpse of one Minru Junta. Fallen traitor to Konoha.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

[_Three Days Later_]

Naruto frowned as he looked up at the soft blue colored ceiling. He was surprised by the recent events, or more to say he was barely able to handle it all. It was like his life attempted to self-destruct. He was currently under heavy observation which didn't surprise him. Few people could handle what he had in the past few days, and even he didn't understand it all perfectly. He'd suffered a lot of trauma, but it seemed so distant, so insignificant to the fact that Ino had been hurt because of it. That made him feel worse than the whole event. Then there were the repressed memories…he shook his head a bit. He didn't like to think of the times he spent with Junta, but there were many other things hidden in those memories that had been sealed. So many things had been taken. Some for necessity, but…

Other memories were far happier. He remembered things he knew he shouldn't have had to forget as well. He looked to the bonds that held him to the bed and frowned again. He didn't like to be held down. Though, the long rest did give his seals enough time to acclimate to his jutsu, and allowed him to change back. Still he had little to do, and today would be his last day of heavy observation. Today he'd be seeing the top psychologist in Konoha, to help him deal with all of…these pent up emotions, the pain, the mixture of happiness, sadness, anger…he shook his head a bit. He was kept lightly sedated to keep his emotions in check. As a Jinchuriki he could have done serious damage to the building if they were uncontrolled.

He was thinking a lot, so many things seemed to be swirling around in his head; he didn't want to concentrate too hard on all of it. He had to instead do what Jiraiya mentioned would help pass the time, something…anything to make his thoughts stop feeling like they were going to burst from his skull. He slowly let his breathing reach a calm apex; he reached a sense of calm. He pushed everything away. It was needed, it was necessary. To meditate, to reach a state of true calm, he needed to do this. So within twenty minutes Naruto fell into the calm, thoughtlessness of pure meditation, assisted by the powerful medications that were being slowly fed into him.

Outside the room, in the observation chamber several shinobi watched with interest as the boy slipped into meditation. Inoichi stepped into the room, he looked exhausted, even before he collapsed into a chair. One of the people in the room, a female Special Jonin named Kina Wutaru looked over the tired man, with a solemn gaze her eyes wanting to reach out and help him. The once vibrate man, seemed to have aged quite a bit over the last couple days. His daughter was also under observation, and was under complete sedation at all times to facilitate mind walks, as well as allowing her mind time to heal from the invasions that the late Minru Junta perversely inflicted on these two Genin.

"How is he holding up?" The weary voice of Inoichi caught the woman off guard as she sputtered and tried to remember everything to report, however she was saved by a second presence in the room. One that made her stand straight up and gulp. An aged hand pressed itself to Inoichi's shoulder, and he looked up to see the worried looking face of the Hokage. He immediately attempted to stand, but the man's firm grip kept him planted in his seat.

"I am beginning to worry more about you. Inoichi-kun. The past few days have been hard. Answers must be found, but for now there is an empty bed a room over I want you to rest in. Naruto's situation is going to be the hardest. I have noted some things over the past couple days…and with Jiraiya's help, I am certain a third party tampered with Naruto's mind. More seals had been placed, and I think, I know the source. So, this is an order. Rest up, and get ready. This is going to be complicated." The Hokage said in a soft but commanding tone, that left the blond man quite annoyed who stood and bowed to the Hokage, before heading to attempt to get some rest. The door slamming the door hard behind him. "You may rest, Wutaru-chan." The Hokage spoke tiredly and the Special Jonin relaxed and sat down slowly and watched as the Hokage took Inoichi's seat.

"Sir?"

"This is a most trying time. One that as time goes on, I am continuously pushed. Melded together with mistakes I continue to feel, continue to make…" the man whispered, and part of the woman recognized he wasn't talking to her. He was talking to Naruto. Then she took looked to boy and frowned a bit. She didn't like the actions that the Kage took towards the boy, it left him vulnerable. She wondered what could be so important about him anyway. She knew he was a Jinchuriki but the Hokage's interest…it bothered her. Not that she would mention it.

"Please. Leave us, Wutaru-chan. You can have the day off." The cold voice of the Anbu Commander spoke next to the Special Jonin causing her to jump, the man seemed to just step from the shadows itself. She didn't wait to be dismissed further, and rushed out of the room. "Hokage-sama. I brought the box." Ryu handed the aging Kage a box marked with the symbols classification. The Hokage opened it and took some pills from it before taking them. "How long?" Ryu asked calmly looking towards Naruto.

"Not long enough…not long enough at all."

[_Mindscape_]

Naruto blinked awake, the floor was cold beneath him as he stood. He looked around, frowning at the warped appearance of the place. All the walls, everything really, seemed to be fuzzy. As if it was out of focus. He seemed to be floating even as he walked through the fuzzy catacombs. He stepped into a massive chamber; it was like a world of swirling chaos. There he saw numbers, symbols, and images blurring together into things beyond his ability to understand, or even for him to completely contemplate its meaning or purpose. It was more complex than anything he'd ever seen, or would have thought he'd find deep within himself.

"What is this place?" He asked the thin air, but the disturbance brought about a change in the symbols. It was as if the very presence of him, of his thoughts, and his ideas could bring a change here.

"This is the place where the Seal that binds the Kyuubi exists. It is a part of you, that under normal circumstances you'd never see." A calm voice spoke from behind him, making Naruto jump turning to see a blonde man, bound in chains within the room. He was literally fused to parts of the patterns. Naruto however, was frozen. This man was someone he idolized, he wouldn't have ever expected to see him here in his mind.

"Y-You! Y-you're…y-you're the Yondaime!" Naruto was shocked as he walked up to the chained figure.

"Yes. I was sealed here when I placed the seal within you. For thirteen years I watched through your eyes. I have seen the pain, the anguish, and the trials that people have put you through…" his voice was darker than any venom, but it lightened a moment later, as he looked into the boy's eyes. "…I have also seen moments of the dearest closeness. You are both cursed and blessed. I am so sorry to have punished you so by my actions, even if it was to save Konoha." Naruto looked at the agonized face of the Hokage, and felt the burning pain burning in his chest. It was undeniable, it was painful, and it was powerful. Naruto felt years of anger, rage, sadness, despair, pain, torture, and loneliness bundle up in his chest, about to burst. "It must be so hard…" tears welled up in the man's eyes, as he looked to the young Jinchuriki. "…I am so proud that a young man like you, Naruto, can be so strong."

Just like that, it began to deflate, the pain melting away. It was still hard, but Naruto stepped forwards to the man and he smiled. "Don't cry. Yondaime-sama. You did what you had to. You did it, and I will endure it. I will…become that hero to defend Konoha that you wanted." The older blonde's eyes widened a bit, even as he watched the young boy's expression soften at the disbelief at the Yondaime's disbelief. "Believe it, because one day…I will be Hokage, and I will be an even better Kage than anyone, even you."

"Good. I am happy that you still have your conviction…I will…keep watching you. I will be so excited for you Naruto. Don't let anything, no past, no future slow you down. Show the world…that you are Naruto Uzumaki. Show them. Tell them, and force them to acknowledge you. Not by pity, or fear. Not by pain, or failure. Make them see the hero I always knew you were. I believe in you like no one else. So, in response, I want you to never, ever, back down. Promise me, okay?" the sealed piece of the Yondaime asked in a proud, but determined voice.

"I promise, and you know…" the man's smile grew wider as the images behind the boy again began to solidify, the world became solid. Unknown to Naruto, the soft hand of Inoichi was obviously working now. It made sense, as to why Naruto was able to reach this place, at least to the late Hokage. Either way, he was happy. He knew it would be better. He saw a future of brightness, of light for the boy. So with conviction, even as Naruto began to fade away Minato spoke with him.

"**I never go back on my word**!" and for the first time, one side unknowing of the truth of it…Father and Son. They shared a moment, of laughter, of smiles, one that tore apart the gloom in the boy's soul, at least for now. Then Naruto was gone, the seal room faded away, and the chamber of the Kyuubi reappeared, sharp and natural. The true soul of the Yondaime shook his head a bit as he looked to the room, and wondered to himself. What had just happened to him?

The Kyuubi saw, and felt it all as well. For a single moment, even the greatest hatred in the Kyuubi's heart, was warmed by the closeness it saw between the broken familial bonds of what it had thought of as mere mortals being slightly repaired by. So for the first time, it made a choice, that would change something fundamental about the way Naruto lived and fought, and it did it not for its own reasons, but for the boy whom it was forced to call home. Soon, it decided. Soon it would give its host something truly worth having. Some part of the beast thought of its host being feared with a pleased purr.

[_Naruto's holding Room_]

Naruto awoke with a start, almost slamming his head up into the man who was just pulling away from him. Naruto blinked as the Yamanaka elder looked down at the boy for a moment, a look of pain crossing the elder's face before he left the room. Leaving the blond to collect his thoughts, as the Jonin stepped out to meet the Hokage. Even with over eight hours of sleep, he'd felt as if he'd been just as exhausted as he'd been from not sleeping for days straight, and working on his own daughter.

"Report."

"I am worried sir, I have seen many techniques…but these…they are blunt, effective, but the way they were dealt with…it reminds me of the original Root project more than torture." Sarutobi's jaw tightened at those memories. The origins of the organization formally known as Root was one that used children, much younger than this, and put them through vicious trials. Doing this, it allowed these groups to form extremely strong and close bonds. At first it worked wondrously, the units were massively successful. Then several of them began to react violently to orders, or missions. The loss or danger to their members would cause them to revolt against it. Danzo forced them to do so anyway. Several units disappeared, MIA. It was obvious that the project had failed, due to a single oversight. They had created teams more loyal to themselves than Konoha, and over the years they had to pay the price for it. Sarutobi's face settled into a deep frown a bit more as he wondered at the purpose of it all.

"I see, so what do you suppose is the reason that someone would use such a style of techniques to manipulate them?"

"Simple. The file on Junta was one of a torturer, but he was also a coward. He wanted to build that loyalty, and then use that as a tool to control Naruto. As a Jinchuriki, he was a perfect target to support himself with. Even still…many questions follow. Why now? Who was he working with that killed him? Was it Orochimaru, or someone else? Was it an ally at all? Then the more dangerous questions are aroused. Where did he learn, forbidden, clan techniques of a clan that has been dead longer than he'd been a ninja, or perhaps an even more dangerous question is…was he successful?" Inoichi seemed unsettled, and the Hokage couldn't blame him. It was hard on him to ever enter Naruto's mind, and to go in, and work through the boy's memories, and helping him organize them in a mentally healthy way…it was normally impossible even for him, unless Naruto for some reason was completely at ease.

"So how successful was the process you used on him?" the Hokage's words were very worried, and in truth Inoichi understood why, at least at a deeper level. The Hokage saw Naruto as a second grandson, and he wouldn't want to have to see his daughter like this either for that matter. He was surprised at his own ability to remain calm.

"Far better than I would hope. I think with some time, with perhaps someone trained to deal with these new memories, and emotions he would be capable of competing in the Chuunin Exams. Ino is recovering well also, but I do see prolonged effects of using an advanced technique one that she'd have to used herself…she has to deal with it of course. I will be handling her refinement and helping her dealing with her psychological torture. For Naruto, I suggest either Mikoto Uchiha, or Anko Mitarashi." Sarutobi nodded and stepped towards the exit.

"I'll have Ino released into your care. Naruto will work with one of your recommendations here. I will require a status report on Ino three days before the Chuunin Exams. I want to know if she will be ready." Inoichi nodded and left the opposite way, as the Hokage prepared to summon the person he'd have care for the boy and frowned. Mikoto was assigned to deal with one psychological case already, and even with him training away for the month the Kage could see the signs of her stress. Anko on the other hand, seemed to have a strong connection to the boy already, and had a similar mindset to the one he considered the boy to have had before he graduated when she wanted to be playful, and yet had the serious side that Naruto had displayed over the last few months.

"I wonder indeed what this generation will show us in just a few short weeks." He whispered quietly into the halls as he disappeared from the complex.

Naruto for his part sighed, even as he felt an inner peace he'd never known, deep down a part of him prepared himself for something even more. He knew that soon his world might crash down around himself, but for now…he could rest, and finally relax completely. So the troubled teen rested. Even as his thoughts drifted to the blonde girl who had to endure the attack with him, he knew somehow it would be alright.

[_Shinobi General Supply-_ Three Days before Finals]

Haki frowned as he looked through all of the books before him, he'd been working hard on the medical seal he thought could work on the victim of the preliminaries. Though he'd almost given up, he'd recently gotten some insight, but it was still difficult work. Luckily, he'd heard rumor that Jiraiya had left over a week before to find Tsunade-sama, and Haki's seals had left the most critical damages in a state that it could be healed by a skilled enough healer. Though, he knew that the window was quickly approaching the time when it will be beyond even her abilities. So, even now he heard the Jonin's words racing through his head.

"Hello, Shinobi-san." The very man who had been cursing his thoughts stepped into the room, and Haki paled as he locked eyes with the man.

"I have no greetings for one such as you." Haki growled, and the man held up his hands.

"Why all the hostility? I merely offered to help them, and you as well. I know much about you. Haki-san or should we drop the pretenses now? Weaponsmith M-"

"I suggest you not use that name here. Orochimaru." The man's eyes narrowed as the Jonin chuckled and glared back.

"Oh? How long did you know, Haki-san?"

"I know you well enough boy. So tell me. What do you want in exchange for the girl's careers?" Orochimaru's smile became something out of a horror movie.

"I want you to make me one more blade for me. Or should I perhaps say…I want the sword you made for your daughter." Haki frowned darkly as he clenched his jaw, and nodded. "Fine. Damn you, if you give me the way to help them…I'll give you the sword." Orochimaru was smiling as he pulled a single scroll from his robes and presented it to Haki.

In response, the man pulled out a sealed case, marked with several seals, before pulling out a beautifully crafted straight bladed sword. "There. This is my own version of the Kusanagi sword, the Karahiri. Now, the jutsu." Orochimaru happily handed over the scroll before taking up the blade, and stepping towards the exit.

"One thing, Haki. Why do you care so much about these children?"

"You…someone like you would never understand the Will of Fire." Haki hissed, and Orochimaru snickered before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The aging store owner let out a slow breath before praying he made the right choice in the end, and prayed that he was just as smart as people always told him he was.

[_Chuunin Exam Tournament Day_]

Hundreds of Nobles, Shinobi, and dignitaries were already filling the massive Chuunin Exam arena of Konoha. It was also a day of extreme turn out in the Leaders of major villages. The Kazekage, and Hokage were together in one of the two Kage box seats. In the other were the Raikage, a massive man with dark skin and dark eyes, and the Tsuchikage, a man of advanced age, no younger than the Sandaime Hokage himself. Minor villages were not represented by their leaders, at the tournament due to the lack of manpower the villages typically have, meant they didn't have any to spare for such frivolity.

"I see that today will be a historic day, Hokage-dono." The Kazekage spoke calmly, a pair of his bodyguards looking towards the speaker. The Hokage too had a pair of guards, and looked towards the Kazekage, noting that just past him, thirty feet away were two of the other Kages. This was the largest gathering of Kages in the history of the exams.

"Quite. I am very excited for the results we will see today." The Kazekage nodded, as he looked down to see fourteen of the participants gathered. Only two were missing, even though the event was starting.

"Seems two of your ninja are late. The Uzumaki, and the Uchiha."

"They'll be here, I am certain." Though the Hokage really wasn't it wasn't a big difference yet, luckily neither boy would be disqualified until their matches began. So with a calm, but pleased smile, the announcer Bayushi Kakita stepped into the arena, and looked forwards, before turning to the arena and smiling.

"Ladies and Gentleman, the Fourteenth Konoha Chuunin Exam Finals Tournament has begun!" and with a roar of the crowd, twelve of the Genin disappeared into the box where they would wait for their own turns. In the ring, Ino brushed off her skirt, having returned to her traditional purple outfit with wrappings, and smiling as she looked to her opponent Seika. A beautiful silver haired girl, with tanned skin stood across from her in traditional Kumo Kunoichi gear, and standing tall.

"Ino Yamanaka, against Seika. Round One, Match One! Begin!"


	22. Chuunin Exams: Finals I

There was a calm sort of silence, two Kunoichi standing just a few meters apart, each one's stance left little for the other to easily grip their strategy. Even some of the lower ranked Chuunin were completely lost while watching the two standing off in opposition, eyes narrowed. It was a whole minute before they each moved, charging forwards drawing out kunai and striking with a loud clang of metal on metal before breaking away flipping backwards. The Kumo kunoichi preforming quick hand seals before she threw he kunai still in mid-flip, coming down and smiling as she watched her opponent closely. Now while using little chakra herself, she was literally chasing her opponent around the arena, the kunai seeming to be homing in on the Yamanaka heir.

Seika almost wanted to laugh as she directed her kunai against the spinning and dodging blonde Konoha ninja. It seemed to take only the movement of her eyes, to make the blade follow. "This is almost too easy!" she laughed crossing her arms over her chest. It was only from being ambushed several times by her sensei that Seika's senses noticed the incoming strike from behind. She dove forwards, rolling back to her feet and looking back to see Ino standing there, fist extended. Seika frowned as she watched the fake Ino fade out, and frowned. Her kunai was resting in the dirt, and the distance to reach it was a good ten feet. Seika couldn't use her technique with a kunai that wasn't specially prepared, and all the time she'd spent perfecting it had left her with little time to make more of them.

"You are impressive, I think I'll show you a second secret of mine then." Then she made four hand signs, and breathed out. She didn't say a word, but then a dozen cuts appeared on random places over the blonde kunoichi's body. She flinched a bit, and back off. Seika smiled happily at the renewed offensive, and quickly pressed it, releasing another heavy breath at her opponent. Ino quickly rolled to the right, and dodged some of the wind but fell to a crouch the ripping pain in her calf bringing her to her knee. "Too easy, this is too easy!" Seika smiled, confident in her position, and watched as her opponent threw a kunai at her. With another breath the kunai was not only deflected, but narrowly missed stabbing deep into her opponent who now sported even more wounds. "I think I will end this now, bye bye~" Seika laughed, taking in a deep breath, and unwittingly closing her eyes for merely an instant, before letting out a shriek-like breath, but instead of her intended target, she seemingly had reoriented, and the proctor had been struck by the wounding breath.

"What do you think you are doing?" Bayushi growled in anger, he shook off the wounds as if they were mere inconveniences. "I should disqualify you right now, unless you'd prefer the dignity of surrender." He growled, eyes burning into her own, even as she saw in the corner of her eye, her opponent giggling at her failure, hands held in a earth technique handsign.

Though the proctor should have dodged! Why? Why is this happening? Why should she…"Surrender." She blinked as she spoke out the word she had been thinking, she blinked a bit. "I surrender." The words flowed from her lips with a tremble, and in the end, her vision blurred and refocused. She saw her opponent before her, hands in a strange position.

"Winner by surrender. Ino Yamanaka." Seika was in shock, and gasped out a breath in pain. She felt like she'd never released her technique, it was a painful breath a bit of blood in the back of her mouth…but how could it have happened? How could it all have happened? She wanted to pout even as she left the arena walking through a hallway, her eyes downcast. She glanced back at her opponent as she happily moved back up to the participant's level. How could she have lost! It was impossible, she was prepared…was it a genjutsu? A really good one? No, it couldn't have been. Then what? What could have happened? She was fuming silently. What kind of technique removed one's sense of reality like that, but wasn't a genjutsu?

She continued to think on it, even as she passed a figure standing in a doorway, never looking up to him, instead glancing around to find someplace where she could be alone.

"Oh, taking the loss against the mind walker a bit harsh are we?" the smooth voice of the shinobi made her shiver even as she looked to the Sound ninja, though he looked familiar to her. He sneered a bit as he pressed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose with a mysterious smile.

"Mind walker?"

"Oh yes, quite a group of cheaters they are. I could show you a way to get even with her…without getting in trouble." Seika's eyes wavered over the man, his eyes burrowing into hers. She shivered and she knew it was wrong, she could feel his power washing through her. The power of his genjutsu was so strong she felt like she was being held down by great stones, even as she smoothly walked into the room he was standing within, the glimmer sheen of the dim light reflecting off of his glasses.

"Yes, your revenge will be simple…just take a seat in this coffin here…" The door to the room closed with a nearly silent click, with no one, not even the most skilled of the Anbu any-the-wiser.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

The second match ended before it even began; as the proctor called out for them Kankuro excused himself with a forfeit. Several people began to whisper and chatters about this most recent move by the young Suna Genin, it was a literal statement that he didn't even want a chance to be promoted. What could he possibly gain by doing so? The whispers where loud enough that even Kankuro could easily make out more than a few of them. He silently cursed his mission. He hated losing, and he hated quitting even more, but it was a mission. That and he was worried that letting this drag out too long would set his brother off. Temari also seemed a bit put off by the events around them. Gaara's bloodlust seemed to be reeking off of him. She considered her own position for a moment.

Gaara was not stable, he was livid that his opponent had not arrived, even though he'd dared to challenge him. Anyone who knew Gaara knew that this didn't bode well, but then again she also had to think of her mission, and despite everything she knew she'd have to fight. Gaara needed something good to get him to calm down. He wanted blood. So she would give him something to tide him over. She walked towards the Arena and smiled before walking down, even as he name was called.

She glanced to the strange looking green clad kid, who had shown an amazing aptitude to using taijutsu. It wouldn't be too hard to carve him up, and feed him to Gaara's bloodlust.

Rock Lee for his part was not his usual exuberant self. This was the opponent who crippled his teammate, possibly for life. Rock Lee had spoken to his Sensei many times over the month about what he was supposed to do. Gai wanted to stem the tide of Lee's anger, but there was only one way to do this. To allow his youthful spirit dwindle so it may once again; on another day explode bright light the sun once again. So it was that he told Rock Lee what would lead to a Ninja's Repayment. It was an old war term, for paying back enemies who wound or kill beloved teammates, and fellows. It was not an act Gai himself liked much, and to his own shame had committed once in his own youth.

So it was that Lee started off with his weights off sitting beside him, even as he glared into the enemy's eyes. He wouldn't take any pleasure in this, he was doing this for his team.

"So, you seem quite upset. I guess you must have been friends with the girl I fought last time." Temari said with her casual, confident smirk. Rock Lee didn't say a word, merely glancing to the proctor. Who looked between them, before nodding calmly and shouting out "Third Match! Temari of Suna against Rock Lee of Konoha, Begin!"

There was an instant gale of wind from Temari, that tore up the ground, tossing dirt and dust in the air. The sound of something impacting the inner walls echoed, as the crowd was silent, and then an instant later it was broken.

"Behind you!" Kankuro shouted as the crowd cheered, and Temari spun on heel in shock. Standing, now face to face with her was Rock Lee. No smile. No shouting. Just a glare, and a few simple words.

"She is. My Comrade." Then with an explosive impact Temari felt all the air in her lungs leave her before her feet left the ground. There would be no impact with the wall for the blond girl as Lee appeared behind her and delivered a vicious upward kick knocking her into the air higher. Her fan tumbled to earth as the martial artist continued to slam his fists against her, see seemed to fly for a moment before she tumbled downwards, blood flowing from her lips, and dozens of abrasive cuts. Rock Lee appeared without even seeming winded beneath the wind user, and let out a breath. With only an instant to do so he disappeared, before reappearing, her own fan in hand. Then with a tremendous swing knocked her away and into the participant's waiting box. There was no sound in that moment. Merely shocked silence as he dropped the fan and looked to the proctor.

The entire match had lasted a minute at best. Rock Lee had destroyed his opponent, a powerful ninjutsu user, in instants using only his taijutsu skills. Many elite nobles, and ninja alike were shocked.

"Winner! Rock Lee!"

Rock Lee for his part felt a bit soiled. He didn't like the way he'd fought that girl, but the words of one of his rivals had set him at ease. He was a shinobi, and it was his duty to honor his own ninja way. Slowly he walked over and collected his weights from the wall where they had impacted before returning to the box, noting the panic stricken Kankuro as he looked over his sister. Rock Lee frowned, and closed his eyes. This was not the right way, but for him, for now. It was the only way.

"Impressive. I didn't think anyone else here could be so ruthless. I think Mother would love to have a taste of you as well." Gaara's reaper-like tone made Lee shiver inwardly, even as he looked down to the ring. Sasuke still hadn't arrived. This wasn't looking good for him, then again, Naruto was also absent.

"Do not compare him to you." A calm voice said from the back of the competitor's box, making everyone there spin to look at the dark haired Uchiha, standing there like he'd been waiting there the entire time. Several of the Genin were in shock over the fact he'd literally managed to slip in under their radar, and without even a bit of delay, he began to walk towards them. His eyes locking with his opponent for only a moment before he spoke "See you down there." Then he was gone, as if he'd never been there.

For his part Sasuke remained calm even as the crowd began screaming in excitement as he appeared. Many had come just to see him compete, and he would not let them down. He stood, arms crossed as he waited for his opponent to arrive. Jura of Iwagakture. Part of team Kunoichi. In Kakashi's estimation they were the greatest threat in the exams as a whole, besides himself, Naruto, and perhaps Gaara. Sasuke didn't seem fazed when the beautiful elder female stepped down to the arena, her long brown hair floating behind her as she sneered. Her eyes seemed to thirst for his blood, and she looked to the proctor who awaited some unknown signal.

"Match Four. Sasuke Uchiha versus Jura. Begin!" he shouted before instantly disappearing to a more secure position. Instantly the entire arena seemed to shake, as a spike of earth exploded from beneath the Konoha nin, who took exactly three steps back and stared right at the tip of the spike that rested before him, the older woman he faced was resting on one knee, her eyes staring at him a bit in shock, and she shifted quickly as she bounced away, making sure not to make eye contact. Sasuke had activated his bloodline.

"Something wrong? Suddenly you seem to be avoiding my eyes…" then he seemed to skip forwards, disappearing silently for a moment before appearing right next to Jura, but was several feet higher, as she had pulled the earth up around her. "…not that it's easy to avoid when you need to fight someone like me." With a single handsign the entire area close to the newly forged wall of earth burst into flame, as Sasuke leapt into the air, easily landing on the edge of the high exam wall. He glanced around, but smiled as he noted that she hadn't left the zone he'd attacked. Sasuke wasn't quite done though, as he blurred through several handsigns, and released a deep breath he'd barely had the time to suck in. Without pause a bellowing dragon of flames crashed to the ground, cracking the earthen area floor, making the area shake with the rage of his attacks.

"I don't think you'll be standing up again after that." Sasuke sneered confidently, but despite his bravado, he didn't change from his battle ready position. The smoke cleared, and standing in the shattered center of the destruction stood Jura, her clothes burning to ashes, but her skin seemed to have taken an inhuman sheen. Sasuke frowned as his sharingan noted the bizarre textures her skin had taken. Jura possessed a strange bloodline, even as the last of her outer outfit burned away, leaving only a tight one piece suit that left no place for hidden equipment or scrolls. It was a last line of armor against attacks, and was apparently fireproof.

"I think. You should stop all of this pointless conversation. Sasuke." Then she disappeared slipping into the earth like it was made of water. Sasuke quickly spun around throwing ninja wire in a web-like pattern, giving him a purchase to stand on in the center that was not contacting the ground.

In the stands dozens of skilled shinobi, were shocked at the power the two Genin were showing. A pair of Chuunin looked to one another, one whispered "you sure these two are Genin?" the other shook his head no quickly, before they returned to watching the incredible fight taking place before them.

Sasuke waited but not to be inactive, he watched calmly hand pressed gently to the wires beneath his feet. He was slowly sending out small pulses of his chakra through the wires, this allowed him to better gauge her location. If his sharingan had developed a bit more he wouldn't need such a trick, but for now he merely waited, preparing his next move with the utmost care. She would come to him, which was just the way it would have to be. Fights like this were lost by the impatient. So they would wait.

Jura for her part wasn't merely sitting beneath the earth, she was gathering a large amount of her chakra together, and sneered a bit. Konoha and Suna thought they had the upper hand with their plan to push their weapons so eagerly into the exam. Perhaps she should show them reality was far harsher than they hoped. With that she began to move up, faster and faster, she began to feel the pulses of Sasuke's chakra, even then when she came bursting out of the earth like a great land shark, teeth bared, a fist covered in a spike of her specially hardened earth, heading straight for the pompous Uchiha she'd never suspected he'd be waiting with something like that. Even her diamond skin couldn't handle that weapon he now held in his hands.

The most deadly of Konoha's high impact techniques, the chidori, or one thousand birds, the signature chirping was unmistakable now that she could hear it. Sasuke merely sneered as he leapt down, meeting her own attack even from the barest contact Jura could feel her entire body exploding in pain. Everything was becoming blurry, even as Sasuke's hand broke through her defenses, and without his usual callousness, didn't slam his chidori through her heart but instead pressed her electrified hand to her bare neck, her diamond armor doing nothing to protect her against the power of this technique. She screamed in agony her eyes snapping open for only an instant, as she began to spasm. She met his eyes for only a moment, and in that single instant she realized it was over. Then seemingly, she merely fell asleep, with Sasuke leaning over her. For a long moment he lingered, but then he stood and sneered as he walked away.

"I thought I would have more of a challenge than that." The crowd erupted in applause drowning out the proctor calling out his name in victory, as the medics moved to take Jura away, only to be stopped by her team her quickly scooped her up and returned to the contestant's box with her. The only person not cheering for him that called himself an ally was his teacher, Kakashi Hatake. He'd taught Sasuke over the month, and while he'd seen a great improvement, he didn't see one as great as he'd just seen. Something was nagging at him, but then again he had been preparing him to fight Naruto, more than the rest, perhaps they were just less skilled than he gave them credit for.

Sasuke on the other hand, had a smile on his face that made even the vengeful Iwa Genin shift away. This boy saw only one foe now, and the rest were merely stepping stones for him. Only Gaara met his stare, madness met arrogance in a spark that would have set even water aflame.

[_Kage's Box_]

The Hokage returned to his seat after announcing a brief intermission, allowing for some time to get refreshments while they cleaned up the damage from the first four matches. Most of the damage from the most recent. Sarutobi let out a slow sigh as he looked to his attendants, and smiled a bit as one brought him something to cool himself off. It was a hot day today, especially with what he was wearing.

"The last Uchiha truly lives up to his family name." the calm voice of the Kazekage rung out from beside him, a man who had remained silent during his own daughter's horrific beating. Sarutobi knew this man well however, he was much like his old student. He respected power, and power alone. As the strongest village, and the strongest of the Kage, it was not surprising that he had made sure to ally himself with Konoha. Sarutobi's eyes glanced to the faces of the other two Kage only to be surprised to see they had left completely.

"Lord Hokage," a calm voice said from beside him as one of the adjuncts he'd assigned to assist the visiting Kage bowed to him. "The Tsuchikage, and Raikage have both decided to withdraw to their hotel rooms. Each merely mentioning important business elsewere." Sarutobi waved the man off, as he watched the quick repairs to the arena with a pensive silence. He could barely have maintained himself had Ryu not put his medicine in his drink. He feared that he was running on a tight rope here. He never suspected that he might have need of _that_ technique. He hoped that he'd been wrong when he learned that technique.

So it would be for a while longer he supposed.

"Still on of your Shinobi had yet to arrive, I hope he does. I have heard from my children that he is quite formidable. I would love to see how he manages to stand up against my Gaara." The unspoken words that Sarutobi heard were the acusations of his shinobi being afraid of his own, and with the gentlest of his smiles he showed his usual strong front.

"Ah, that is true isn't it? It would be lovely to watch Naruto's battle; I am certain that whatever delays him will not stop him from arriving." The Kazekage huffed a bit before looking to the arena, and the elder merely smiled. Youngsters, so easily ruffled.

Not too far off among the crowd, a single red haired man reclined in his seat with a smile that made a couple of people scoot away from him, his eyes hungry like a wolf's. "This is too much. Oh! Uchiha. I can't wait! I really can't. When is the next battle? I want more! This is getting boring." Then with a boisterous laugh he looked away from the arena, noting the Anbu watching him from the darkness, and he attempted to stifle his laughter, only for it to slip through his teeth in a hissing sound.

"Shut up, you giant fool." The voice of the much slimmer and smaller man with golden blond hair said as he watched merely continued staring forwards. "The next match will start soon, so stop drawing all the attention in the world." The larger man paused as if contemplating disobeying before sitting up straight with a frown and looking towards his smaller companion.

"Fine, I just hope it hurries up."

[_Story Break_]

'_In this world there are Men, there are Demons, and there are Gods. I am of first, you control the second, and claim to be the third…but let me ask you this…my desperate, lifelong rival…'_

'_What would a being that was all three be then?'_

_ -Anonymous _(Attributed to several figures through history)

[_Konoha Arena_]

It had only been a few minutes since the fourth match, but Bayushi was incredibly displeased with the results so far. The intermission ended with the immediate forfeit of the Sound contestant Dosu, who seemed to want nothing more than to leave as quickly as possible, which seemed to only make his opponent annoyed, as if he'd planned to do the same. So now he was wondering if something else was about to happen to his next match, with the string of upsets, and rather quick matches he wasn't too pleased at the turn out. Especially as he'd put good money on the young Uzumaki who'd not yet even shown his face today. So it was that the proctor was a bit too happy to see the next pair of Genin, it would hopefully be more exciting.

"Match Six. Begin!" he called without bothering to name either Neji or Zukiru. The two competitors stood matching looks of indifferent hate pasted to them. For a moment it looked like neither would move, when suddenly Neji burst into motion, met only a moment later by his counterpart.

"Gentle Fist!" Neji called out as he shifted to his signature position, all the while Zukiru remained silent. Observing the boys movements for a weakness in his form and sneered as he easily found one. Just as they were about to clash, the Iwa Genin disappeared from view. Appearing to the direct left of the young Hyuuga, and driving a wakazashi towards the young man's chest. The effeminate boy was surprised when Neji easily shifted out of the way, even as committed as he was to his initial attack, and landed a pair of light taps to Zukiru's arms.

"Tsk. Not that again…" he leapt away clearing the distance with ease as he felt the effects of the gentle fist styles attack, just like the ones he'd seen the boy use during the preliminaries. He cursed silently as he looked to Neji's fingers, and then his eyes. He hated that his preferred specialty had been taken from him so completely. He could not use his specialized genjutsu against the byakugan, it would be near pointless at this point. He also didn't feel like using his other secret techniques in the open like this. He slowly stood tall, and slid his blade back into its sheath, neatly hidden to look like an long ornament along his flashy, but fashionable pants leg. He considered using one of his ninjutsu, but that too would not do as they were close range focused. He growled a bit before a sudden smile broke out on his face. "Ya…Ya…that will have to do then…I didn't want to…but I suppose."

Neji moved forwards again, unwilling to let his opponent ramble on endlessly. Though this time, his opponent seemed to be moving much more fluidly, slipping left and right around his own nimble strikes. "Men amongst Gods, Gods amongst Men. All brought low before the might of thee who holds the blood of Yomi!" The feminine stone nin chanted, with a devious smile. Then almost as if a dozen poisoned smoke bombs exploded, the entire arena floor was covered, for a moment, in grim purple smoke. The smoke was quickly dispelled by the whirling Hyuuga, as he used one of the more advanced techniques of his family. Knocking the stone nin away.

"Such trickery will not save you." Neji declared, but stopped when he looked again to his opponent whose once baggy clothes seemed to be taunt against his skin, his once feminine looks hardened into a monstrous appearance, his skin no different in color to the cloud he'd just released.

"Oh? Poison not enough? Then I will have to show you…the true power of the stone's Team Kunoichi." Then he moved forwards, much quicker than before but Neji was able to leap from the massive Genin's path. Landing softly he almost jumped when the sound of the wall being smashed into bits sounded through the area. He didn't need to turn to see the massive hole that now had been so easily placed in the wall by the empowered boy. Neji shifted position and smiled deviously. A moment later the massive boy charged forwards again, attempting to clobber the now much smaller boy, with an amazing amount of force.

"Kaiten!" Zukiru's eyes widened as his fist impacted the whirling energy, his body torn from the ground by the impact, flying up into the air with a pained yowl. Spinning and twisting in the air even as Neji slowed to a standstill. The ground shook violently as the boy landed, agony spreading through him. It didn't take too long for him to stand, clothes torn, his body back to its smaller slimmer size already, his sword back in hand. He stumbled forwards, before collapsing face forwards, his sword clattering away, as blood began to leak from him mouth.

"N-No…m-my…body…how…so fast…" then he was silent to the world, even as the medics moved quickly to recover him. Neji stood tall even as he felt the cheers, the accolades, and even the approving stare of his uncle. He barely moved three steps before falling to his knees, both of his legs having suffered horrible damage from the impact, and he too would be carried out, but in his case victorious.

The last member of the Iwa team however was not happy. Akiru had never seen her brother so hurt in her entire life, and in this one moment she glared at the sword wielding Ame ninja as if daring her to back down. Tsuki wisely moved off to the arena, even as the shadow of death seemed to follow her down.

"I didn't…" Bayushi began, but paused as he caught the eyes of the Iwa ninja and frowned. "Match Seven, Begin."

Akiru snarled in rage, he hands glowing bright with chakra before she crossed the distance punching the girls sword violently, leaving deep cracks in it within the blade, the second left it in glittering shards. The third impacted the girls chest. In less than ten seconds the girl had fallen to the ground. The match over. The medics didn't bother to rush back. Everyone knew. The girl was dead.

"I am going to see my brother." And with that Akiru left the arena, head held high as if the match had been nothing more than a momentary distraction.

[_Konoha Hospital_]

Haki frowned as he calmly walked into the medical room that contained a still resting Tenten, her breathing steady, if pained. Haki leaned heavily on his cane as he stepped forwards, a single seal in hand. He asked the girls forgiveness silently even as he placed the paper against her skull, and began the kinjutsu in earnest. This was a medical jutsu that had long ago been sealed away by the Shodaime Hokage, and he understood little of it. It was a mixture of medical, and seal work, and it was said to require a unique form of chakra that the dastardly snake had been more than willing to leave sealed in the scroll, in exchange for his own weapon. He still wondered at how wise a choice he'd made at giving away such a blade to such a man, but it would matter not anymore.

He continued finished the first seal upon her brow, and felt the tension leave her, as part of the seal sedated the target he was not surprised. He turned and locked the door, now he was truly entering in one the forbidden. He placed a small locking seal to keep the door shut even if a proper key was inserted, and then did the same to the windows, reinforcing them with a reinforcement seal, before drawing the drapes closed. He tossed the girl's blankets off and then let out a slow breath, her legs rested at an angle that if she could have felt them, she would have, at best, been uncomfortable. He slowly moved them so that they dangled over the sides of the bed. Then with a shaking hand he pulled the gown from the girl's sleeping body and gulped loudly. He hadn't expected how well developed a fourteen year old girl could look to his eyes, but it wasn't as if anything was now beyond his sight. He'd laid her bare to him. Now he would complete the seal, and the jutsu.

He pulled out a small blade and made a slim cut on his finger and kept the blood flowing, even as he began to scrawl all over the slim girl's body. He shivered a bit as he continued, a slightly sickening lust filled thought burning in the older man's mind for a moment. He began to consider it, and then dashed the thoughts, wondering if breaking one taboo made him desire to break even more. He quickly made sure to finish, he couldn't handle it much longer. He was glad that her injuries were all technically above the waist, as he finished. It meant the seal was just that much smaller. He finished the array and then unfolded the small seal with the specially prepared chakra in it. He laid it down on the seal, and then pushed against it and with a surge of chakra it began to work. The seal was forbidden. The Jutsu was forbidden. Though the results were undeniable. Any injury could be fixed with this technique…

Haki watched as the glow intensified, the seals jumping as if alive and all shifting upwards at a rapid pace, even as the girl's body seemed to shift. To grow. Her heaving chest, became fuller, her form more adult-like, and Haki watched in sick, and twisted horror as the technique worked. To cure anything, it stole life, it mutated cells. It forcibly aged the subject five years, but in exchange it gave them a perfectly healthy body. Haki gulped as he looked down at the beautiful woman that now slept before him, and closed his eyes, looking away before covering her with the blanket. He'd done it. He'd crossed the line…again. Then as he turned he had a slightly sideways smile.

He'd done it though, he'd save one. Now to move on to the other.

He dispelled the seals and left, leaving none the wiser. He knew that after his next move he would have to leave the village, or be punished in a most horrid way, but he didn't care. He knew what needed to be done. So it was that he marched to the restricted wing, where the Hyuuga Heiress was kept. He didn't even pause as he walked past the area's guards, who merely nodded to him. It was the Hyuuga who he thought he would have the most trouble with.

"Ah, Haki-san." One greeted, and he nodded calmly.

"Greeting Kensu, I have a procedure to perform. I need to go by." The guard didn't even bat an eyelash as he looked to his partner, and then they both opened the door, and stepped in. It was standard for the Hyuuga to watch from with the room. It was unlucky for them then. Haki easily entered the room, and closed the door behind him, locking it, and placing a silencing seal in the same motion. The two guards were not unaware of this and instantly moved to stop him. "Sorry." Haki stated before driving his cane into one's stomach and spinning on one foot to greet the other with the same to the temple. Then he tossed a pair of strong sleeping seals onto them, not caring for where they contacted, as they slumped to the ground.

"H-Haki-san?" Hinata's weak voice cracked as he walked up and gave her a gentle smile, patting her on the head. She couldn't even resist if she wanted to.

"No. I am afraid he's gone now. I will go by my old name after this Hinata-chan, but you won't know of it. I just hope you can forgive me." She gave him a questioning look even as he placed the seal upon her brow and set to work. Hinata he knew was already well developed but was still comparable to Tenten in some ways, though the year age gap between them was also a factor. Haki wondered as he felt those wicked desires welling up again, his old self leaking to the surface for a moment even as he remembered to stop, seal the windows as he did before, and then continued. He found that Hinata's injuries as he suspected were far worse. She'd require the full matrix, something in him though demanded he do something else first, and he relented to his darker desires. With a deft move he drew out a vial, and made an incision. He drained the blood into the vial before, he closed it up, healing the minor wound with ease. Then he calmly collected a few other things from the sleeping girl, and nodded as he slipped them away.

He again had to watch, as he stole half a decade from a young Kunoichi, but this girl's beauty, was far more developed than Haki expected and he was barely able to have the willpower to cover her up before he fled the room through the windows. They would be kunoichi, and he done his last good deed as a citizen of Konoha.

Little did he know of the truth, little did he know of his soon to be patron's true plan that Haki had just put into motion…

[_Konoha Arena_]

Now the time was nearly up.

The crowd waited with baited breath, most wanting to see an end to this round, to see the fight that had many of the elder shinobi who'd been a the preliminaries most excited. Bayushi himself calmly frowned as he looked to Gaara's impatient face. Where had the Uzumaki boy gotten to? Had he really run? Many voices began to chatter as the time ran down.

Thirty seconds left for Naruto to arrive…

"Mother is most displeased to be denied such a meal…" Bayushi remained passive, but him like many others were internally crying at the money they were about to lose.

Twenty seconds left for Naruto to arrive…

"Naruto…" Kakashi whispered from the stands, an act mirrored by a dozen other shinobi. A few close to him, and a few not so much. Even the Hokage seemed to mutter it under his breath.

Ten seconds left for Naruto to arrive…

Bayushi sighed, it was time for him to announce the disqualification. "Due to all the remaining time having run down…Naruto Uzumaki is…"


	23. CE Invasion: Until the Clock Strikes One

Time seems to slow, the proctor's eyes closed as he announces the disqualification.

Throughout the arena, for various reasons, many are angry to hear the man's words. The Kazekage's knuckles clench tightly, becoming as white as his robes. This would ruin everything he'd planned so far, and require quick thinking.

Gaara had already turned away, walking away with a nasty smirk on his face. He was victorious, but his mother was not pleased. So what? Soon she would be fed well.

Time up. Zero Seconds Remain.

"Disqual-" Bayushi was interrupted as thunderous clap filled the area, drowning out the words of the proctor, even as a bolt of lightning crashed into the ground, temporarily blinding everyone who had looked upon it.

Only the Kage seemed unaffected, and though nearly imperceptible, a skilled looker could see Sarutobi's slight smile. The lord of the sand ninja too, had relaxed.

"Shinobi Rule 101: A True Shinobi is neither Late, nor Early. He arrives exactly when he means to. When he is needed." Though, despite his serious attitude he couldn't help but silently add in his head 'Unless you are Kakashi-Sensei'. He stood before a crowd of hundreds, arms against his chest, wearing a black ninja jacket with the symbol for the whirlpool forged in orange on his back, his pants too were black with orange strips down the sides. His hip pouch, and thigh pouches were both in their usual position. It was the aura that seemed to surround him that had most staring. His expression, his posture, everything seemed to call back memories most would consider dead now for thirteen years. "Though, if you wish to leave Gaara…I would understand."

Gaara was ecstatic. "What are you waiting for? Start this match!" he called to the proctor who merely nodded.

"Right. Eighth Match, Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha, versus Gaara of the Desert from Suna. Begin!" with a quick dash, he was gone. Not a moment too soon as the entire arena seemed to come alive, a mountain of sand all meeting at one point, right where Naruto had been standing. The sound of crunching bone escaped the sand, and Gaara frowned. Had it been so easy?

The screech of lightning told him otherwise, as a bolt of lightning arced off of his sand shield from behind. It had not been a true attack, but had it his Gaara was certain it would have been horrifically painful. "Yes! Yes! Make me feel alive!" he screamed out as the sand seemed to swirl upwards towards the calm shinobi who merely stood at the top of the wall. He disappeared in a flash of electricity, only to reappear well within Gaara's defenses.

Up in the contestant's box, all the competitors seemed to be lost in shock, even Sasuke was amazed by the development, watching closely with his eyes trying to understand just what he was seeing. It was both amazing and terrifying. Sasuke could feel his blood boiling. He couldn't wait.

Kankuro gulped, he didn't like Gaara too much, but he was still his family. This seemed to be getting worse and worse. "H-How is he so fast?" it was the girl he was supposed to have fought who answered.

"He is the God of Lightning, what did you expect?"

"Him? Oh no…Gaara!" he gulped again and prayed the plan would start soon.

Naruto smiled as he connected his fist into Gaara's stomach, the smaller boy had defended himself with a last line of defense, a layer of sand around his body like armor. Naruto didn't care. "Raiton: Lightning Fist!" the bolt slammed through the boy, his sand armor taking the blow, and a good amount of the chakra was distorted around him, but enough made it through to leave him heaving on the ground. Naruto paid for his attack however, the sand all around him giving him no time to dodge crushed him, a single hand had been outside of the attack, it slowly feel the to the ground disconnected from the body.

Gaara stood gasping but laughed once he saw the hand, the madness had won! It was perfect! Then he watched in horror as the hand melted away into lightning chakra. The sound of whistling caught the entire crowds attention, and they all looked up to see Naruto seemingly floating high above them.

"I am impressed. You managed to defeat one of my lightning clones. Though…" his expression hardened, as he jumped down, a small object bursting into flame as he did so. He landed into a crouched position, and looked up at Gaara, lightning began arcing off of Naruto's body, as he felt all of the seals on his body activating at once. The entire arena seemed to be electrified now, lightning bouncing out in a maddeningly dangerous display. Several Anbu had moved to defend the crowd with crude barrier seals.

Kakashi was in near shock as he watched his one-time failure of a student preform acts that seemed to match the moniker that had been given to him better than he could have imagined. The other Jonin too watched in great interest at what would come next. The crowd was silent expect for a few voice attempting to cheer the blond on, drowned out by the deafening sounds of the lightning arcing between the walls.

Gaara for his part had retreated into a ball, a defensive maneuver. What else could he do? He was becoming panicked, what was this power?

"What is wrong, Gaara? No one crying defenseless before you? No one weaker to pick on? So now you run and hide!" Naruto grit his teeth, noting with ease that lack of response and drew his lightning back into himself. Making a few hand-signs, he prepared for one of the most dangerous types of lightning techniques he knew. "If you will not come out…then I will force you out! Raiton: Lightning Crash!" he poured all the energy he could into the sky, and swirled it around, it was polarized positive chakra, it would gather the negative chakra around it, and then…

"May the spirits have mercy on you. Raiton: Lightning Crash-Fall!" then the positive energy created a path, a bolt of energy down to the sand sphere, a path of least resistance. From the empty skies all the pent up energy was released in a bolt of true lightning, empowered by his own chakra it easily turned the sphere to pure glass, killing the boy within without fail. Naruto didn't want to look, but he never closed his eyes. This was after all, a lesson his sensei told him he needed to learn.

He was shocked to see straight through the glass ball, nothing within it. Below a hole had been made of sand. Naruto frowned a bit before shifting forwards and kicking the glass sphere, making it shatter into a thousand pieces. He looked down into the hole, only to be blasted by overwhelming killing intent.

"**I will kill you!"** the screaming voice of Gaara shouted as a tentacle of sand came out from the sandy pit, nearly skewering Naruto, who deftly leaped back. The tentacle landed with a massive crash, as Gaara pulled himself from the sands, now encased in some horrific monster like sand armor. **"Mother will taste your blood!"**

In that same instant, throughout the arena feathers began to fall, as if from thin air, and most of those who'd once been avidly watching feel into a deep, powerful sleep. Explosions rocked the Kage boxes, forcing both the Sandaime and the Kazekage to leap to the roof.

"So, it come to this…eh? Orochimaru?" Sarutobi asked as the Kazekage began to cackle in madness, a barrier of dark energy building itself up around them.

The Invasion had begun.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Sand and Sound. They charged forwards, carrying the surprise and using dozens of summons to catch those unawares in their deadly traps, and snares. Massive snakes bowled over the walls, and no one could stop it. The initial charge would be the deadliest of them. So they hit hard, they hit fast, and they expected no resistance.

They had expected wrong.

Empty guard houses, evacuated buildings, and three powerful shinobi awaiting the charging forces. A Sannin, The Anbu Commander, and the son of the Hokage. In an instant dozens of shadowy shinobi seemed to appear behind them. The army charged forwards undaunted. Toads appeared from the smoke to meet their serpent cousins. Less than thirty met a force of hundreds. The battles outcome was one of death and violence. The shadows themselves seemed to come alive to fight for Konoha, even as far above them, a cool pale faced dark haired young boy looked back towards the arena and nodded.

"All goes as you commanded. Danzo-sama…Orochimaru's invasion has been met by all the forces you expected with the leak."

"_Very good. Continue Operation: 'Tempest Fury'."_ The voice cracked over a small microphone.

"Hai, Danzo-sama." Then the boy replaced his mask, disappearing into the shadows.

Throughout Konoha, the invaders met strange resistance. It all seemed too prepared, too ready. Even parts and places that no one could have known about were hit with dangerous accuracy. The invasion was in the most part pushed back onto its hind legs almost immediately. Three forms also watched the battles, now from further afar than the arena.

"'Soul', 'Perfection'. I think that it is time for us to leave 'Power' to his devices, don't you?" the slim form of a young boy with burning red eyes said as he looked back to his companions with a smile filled with madness. With him, the massive red head merely shrugged looking bored. They had to miss a good fight, and given their enemies information that they had stolen. He never understood 'Rage', his plans seemed so…convoluted.

"Yeah, let's go. You ready Soul?" the cool look he received from the nominally silent man was more than enough. They would return one day, but for now…

There was an invasion going on, and all of Konoha was pushing back against it.

Even from the furthest lengths of Konoha, bolts of electricity could be seen from the arena, followed moments later by cracks of thunder.

Even the loyal shinobi seemed to shiver with each thunderous blast of power. The arena walls soon gave out, as a pair of Genin went crashing through the city at large. Two Genin. Two Jinchuriki. Not even the outer village walls seemed to stop them, or the line of destruction they left in their wake.

Naruto gasped a bit, as he took in another painful breath. His power was incredible, but it did have a cost. All power like that did. He looked as his enemy stood again, parts of his shield having turned to glass only to be discarded. He sneered a bit before tilting his head to one side.

"Is that all you've got? Gaara!" Then with another thunderous blast, lightning flung the opposing Jinchuriki away. Naruto allowed himself a moment to breath. Great. He was running on a time limit now. He didn't know how long that time limit would last, but in his current state, he was certain it wouldn't be long. "Stay. Down." He huffed even as he heard the enraged yelling of Gaara charging back at him.

For a moment Naruto felt so heavy that he was uncertain that he would be able to defend himself in time. He just needed a few more moments to gather his strength! He closed his eyes, waiting for the blow that Gaara threw forwards at him, but the roar of a dragon made the blond shock back to attention, as he noted his team standing upon a still standing tree branch. "Oi. Naruto. Hope you don't mind, but we figured that we should set in." Sasuke said with his typical arrogant smile, but Naruto returned it, even as Sakura prepared a few kunai with explosive tags.

Naruto nodded, and smiled as he let the Uchiha step in. Hopefully Sasuke could handle it, if not…Naruto would just have to recover by then.

[_Konoha- Chuunin Arena_]

Orochimaru smiled as he looked over to his old sensei, dressed in his typical battle armor. Orochimaru and Sarutobi had already had quite an opening flourish but it was ultimately pointless. The older man was weak from age, while Orochimaru (as 'he' had just shown his sensei) was all but young again.

"I think it's time we stopped playing games, eh sensei?" Sarutobi frowned as he watched Orochimaru's hand-signs and felt his blood run cold. A coffin marked 'One' appeared the Sannin's left, and then a second one marked 'Two' appeared to his right. With a final seal, a third coffin appeared in the center, and for a moment blocked his view of his sensei. He expected something to stop the third summoning, it was just psychological warfare. The Edo Tensei, or Impure World Resurrection couldn't drag the Fourth from his untimely demise.

The sound of the coffin cracking was not what he expected, even as he side stepped the fragments of the ruined coffin he felt his blood run cold.

Before him stood not his sensei, an old crippled man. No, before him stood the God of Shinobi at his prime, a powerful jutsu at his fingertips, easily crushing his attempt to make him crack under pressure. Even as the first and second released themselves, Orochimaru smiled. "Sensei! I have not seen you looking so well in a long time! What did you do? Haircut?" Orochimaru quipped playfully. Sarutobi merely smirked.

"Think it is an illusion? I suppose you, in your delusion would. No this is a true transformation. I, the Sandaime Hokage, will not allow you to hurt another of my family. Orochimaru!" Sarutobi didn't speak to his sensei, he had a limited time using this technique, and afterward it would all be over. "Summoning Jutsu!" then he charged forwards, Enma having quickly changed into his battle staff.

Orochimaru quickly pulled his own weapon from his lips, and spun forwards placing the markers into his two puppets, and laughing as the battle was quickly turned into a one sided mess. After all not even the God of Shinobi could stand up to such incredible opposition. So it was shocking when with a simple hand-sign, Five clones of the Third Hokage appeared, each one releasing a different, and deadly ninjutsu at the trio of Kage level opponents.

Orochimaru snarled as he leaped back, watching his puppets being torn apart for a moment, only to reform with disturbing ease. The snake user had to admit his old sensei's newest trick was most deadly, but he too possessed a monstrous power. So he hung back to gather up the energy to release his next attack on his sensei, allowing the men who had once taught him to keep up their own attacks.

Sarutobi had never had to fight so desperately in his life. He kept two clones around constantly just to provide a minimal defense against his now fallen sensei. He didn't give them a moments pause knowing that without a constant attack and defense, he would be quickly overwhelmed, but with Orochimaru hanging back it gave him a chance.

"I will do whatever it takes, to keep my family, the great flame that is Konoha, alive in the face of shadows like you! Orochimaru!" not a moment later three massive dragons of flame and earth collided with a barrage of massive tree branches and a huge swirling wave of water.

Even outside of the barrier the ground shook at the overwhelming power the two sides pushed against one another. Only far from the battle at the outskirts, near the woods, where a man with round glasses and silver hair, met with a older one legged man, was the light of the two colliding attacks, more of weak flickering light.

"I will leave you, and your village in the ashes! Sarutobi-sensei!"

[_Fire Country- Forest_]

Sasuke frowned as he looked down to Gaara, whose monstrous sand armor had the appearance of some sort of creature, he didn't care too much about the details. He had something to prove now. He looked to Sakura and nodded, before she threw he four kunai, he jumped down, landing almost in perfect sync with the explosions, he pushed his hands towards the flames, and watched as they curled and moved to his commands, making a literal cyclone of flames. He could hear the other boy's screams. Nothing brought more smiles to his face than the sound of beating an opponent that even Naruto couldn't handle, with so little effort. The screams began to grow louder, and louder even as the flames seemed to begin to die out. Sasuke quickly reignited them with a quick fireball technique, the flames were like massive pillar now, no one in the entire area could miss it.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed, as she felt her vision going blurry, the tall form of Kankuro, surrounded by a dozen or so shinobi, several of them from Kumo. The puppet user had struck a deal with them, they help him with these two, and they get their precious Lightning God, the sand shinobi merely following his orders.

"If you stop, I'll let the girl go." Kankuro called out as he pointed down to the branch below him where Sakura laid collapsed from his poisoned weapons, guarded on either side by a pair of masked Suna ninja. Sasuke's sharingan eyes glanced back before he smirked a bit and returned to his attack. He shared one word with the opposing shinobi, for more than one of them it would be the last one they ever heard.

"Dobe."

It all happened in an instant. The hunched form of Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, just as several of the masked ninja collapsed in agony, all with lethal wounds. Above them a blond haired ninja smirked, in a crouched position as a dozen clones appeared behind him with bloodied weapons. He slowly stood and crossed his arms across his chest. "New deal. You leave now, and you live to see tomorrow." The Genin of Kumo, and Kankuro all felt the hair on the back of their stand on end as they slowly backed off. Naruto merely smirked before a loud bellow caught him off guard.

"**I will crush you! Naruto Uzumaki! Sasuke Uchiha! Mother will feed!" **it was like an explosion, sand poured from the flames extinguishing them with ease as trees were thrown through the air, and the sands crushed the trees, in the air. Naruto was forced to make a lightning quick retreat, even as Sasuke was forced to use his enhanced senses to dodge and weave through the waves of sand. They each were barely able to escape as the massive form of the one tailed beast, Shukaku. Sasuke with his enhanced eye sight watched as Sakura was dragged away by the sands, and disappeared into the body of the great beast.

"Shit. I don't think he's going to go down easy. Sasuke, any ideas?" as if on queue several Sound shinobi appeared around the two Konoha ninja. Naruto growled, as he glanced back and forth between the two enemies. Naruto clenched his fists, he knew that the longer that Gaara had the stronger he would become. They had to hurry and stop him. It was the only way, but it wasn't like these guys would just sit and watch either.

"I'll handle these gnats. You go take on that big one, when I am done here I'll catch up." Naruto nodded before disappearing bouncing across the broken skyline towards the powerful creature that was the single tailed beast.

Sasuke merely tilted his head to one side and laughed as the flames seemed to lick at his feet, burning with no source, crawling towards the Sound shinobi. "Show me, your meager powers. I wish to test my new powers to the fullest." he sneered before unleashing a massive ball of fire at them, and charging in after it, a smile of the most exquisite pleasure on his lips. 'I am one step closer. Itachi!'

Naruto frowned as he landed on one of the massive tree tops, looking to the great beast that was before him and considered his options. He wasn't low on chakra, but he couldn't keep pouring it out either, it was a very dangerous move to just use the seals constantly, the damage he would take could be easily fatal.

"**Are you scared yet? Uzumaki? I see you there! I have something that you want coward!"** Gaara cackled as the still unconscious form of Sakura was expelled from the sand, just in front of the Sand Shinobi, Naruto watched in horror as the maddened red hair Genin, pulled her up limp beside him and cackled madly. He calmly licked his lips, as he looked at the limp form of Sakura, before she was sucked back beneath the sands. **"You'd better hurry! If you don't...I will kill her, and give you her head as a parting gift!" **he screamed in a deluded madness. It was not a moment later that a bolt of lightning crashed into the massive form of the sand monster.

The Ichibi stumbled backwards at the impact but didn't fall, as a wave of sand came up to claim the blond from his new vantage point to the east of the creature. Naruto didn't even bother to move, as the sand swept him away. He was quickly dragged back up tightly bound by the sand. He didn't say a word as the sand moved from his face to show the maddened eyes of Gaara. **"Now Konoha warrior! You will feed mother!" **Gaara shouted as Naruto continued to stare at him with a look of complete dispassion, his mind burning through ideas of escape. He watched Gaara's hand move up in the same motion he'd used so many times before. "**Sand-"**

[_Konoha- Chuunin Arena_]

Orochimaru laughed as he felt the power of his own personally modified curse seal crawl across his pale skin, the power he possessed was unmatched! With this even Itachi was left in the dust at his feet. He lunged forwards, sword in hand the distance he covered was much like a instant transposition technique. Sarutobi barely had time to defend himself with Enma before his last two clones dispelled, and Orochimaru kicked him viciously away, nearly slamming into the massive barrier. He felt blood well up in his mouth before he coughed it out. His gaze was becoming blurry, his time was nearly up already.

He cursed himself, if only he'd not become so ill, then maybe he would have had a better chance. This was it. He slowly stood, and released Enma, who took his normal form, standing guard before the elder Kage. He made two final shadow clones, and began the preparations for his final technique. 'I am sorry it had to come to this...Naruto. Jiraiya...Orochimaru.'

Invisible to all senses, a single form stepped from the ether, a being whose very nature was the opposite of nature. The Shinigami floated menacingly before the combatants time whirling by at a snails pace. He'd been called once more by the power of the contract, this time by the powerful soul of one Hiruzen Sarutobi. So he began his manifestation, and closed his eyes as he could feel the desperate soul of one Uzumaki Naruto.

Orochimaru paled a bit as the overwhelming presence of the Shinigami washed over him, and he glared as he hissed out. "Get him!"

[_Fire Country- Forest_]

Naruto felt as if he was being suffocated, only a moment of life was left in him. He'd hoped to be able to conquer the sand user, but the bolt had taken more from him than he was willing to admit. His body had broken down too much. The seals were burning in his skin, and in a few moments it would all be over. He'd failed...

'_They need you._'

Naruto coughed as he watched Gaara's eyes burn with a sick delight, hand clutching down slowly.

'_Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Konohamaru, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Tenten, Neji, Lee, Chouji, Kakashi, and even the Hokage need you now._'

Naruto's resolve burned in his chest, before extinguishing again. He had nothing left to give. "I am...sorry."

'_The Darkness...will you allow it to consume the entire village? Even as Sarutobi, the Third Hokage's wishes reach out to you..._'

'_I am sorry it had to come to this...Naruto...'_ the mysterious voice shifted to the voice of the Third's for a moment.

"I can't." he gasped out blood staining his lips.

'_I believe in you. Rise and Rise Again..._'

"**-Burial!"** and with that a splatter of blood and sand covered the red headed Genin who laughed maniacally, turning his bloodthirsty attentions to Konoha. **"Let us devour them all! Mother!"**

'_Until the Clock Strikes One._'


	24. CE Invasion: Countdown

_Thump…_

_Drip…_

_Thump…_

_Drip…_

_**Three…**_

A single cloaked figure relaxed upon the top of the Hokage's tower, invisible amongst the combat, the hooded figure did nothing to try to hide what was beneath the hood, a simple orange mask with a single hole for him to look out of. He looked down to the rabble beneath him. It was not yet the right time, but this was an event to revel in. It was a moment where the world would begin to spin into darkness. He was a shadow of a figure; he knew someone would find him, but today was the day of chaos, where the might Konoha would be dealt a mighty blow, one that would at first seem minor, but hours from now all of their precious shinobi children will be gone. He wanted to laugh maniacally, but he knew it would serve no purpose. So he stood and turned to look at the figure that had come to meet him. A Konoha shinobi indeed, one that he was most interested in, a figment of a man, the Anbu Commander Ryu.

"I see that you allow your clone to do your dirty work with the invasion, rather than fight yourself." The voice of the masked ninja with no name spoke coolly as he starred hard at the Commander. There was a long moment where he merely stood there, waiting calmly before he placed his hand upon a single blade, as he began to walk forwards.

"I don't know who you are, but you are no friend of Konoha." It was only a step later that the cloaked figure waggled its finger in a playful way.

"Naughty. Naughty. I'll have you know that I rigged each of your bunkers to explode rather violently in exactly ten minutes. I know of your skill in moving quickly. So move now, and get help. You may get to half of them." The orange masked ninja laughed before taking a step off the edge of the tower. Ryu ran to the edge before cursing loudly at seeing only thin air and quickly began heading off, he had to alert all of the bunkers immediately.

Slipping from the wall, the orange masked shinobi began to laugh, even as he began to slip away, he would return soon enough. Though he was brought to pause when a shooting pain arced through his chest, one that he'd not known for some many years as several important seals flared to life against his skin. The last time he had felt something like this was…

"I see." He rumbled anger still evident in his voice. "With the death of the Kyuubi I will have to push my plans back a few years. Oh well." Then there was silence upon the massive tower, which marked Konoha's seat of power for a moment as a quiet whisper drifted on the winds, and heard by no one and nothing but the masked man from whose voice it was had originated. "I will not forget this insult, Orochimaru."

[_Naruto's Mindscape_]

Deep within the fallen blond's fleeting soul, a pair of figures stood in the dimming light.

One was a heroic figure to many, and devilish one to even more. His blond hair gleamed even in the dying light as he looked up into the deep red eyes of the beast before him. "Is…is this it? Is there nothing you can do?" he asked, as a heavy and labored breath escaped from beyond the cage.

"_**Against the power of another of my kind…I bleed…I die…as the brat bleeds…as the brat dies. I can do no more for him…than I can for myself." **_The loud grumbling words of the broken fox echo throughout the chamber. _**"Naruto…Uzumaki…is dead. I can do nothing, but feel as my essence is painfully…torn away, though I will reform, it will not… be for some time…"**_ Slowly the light continued to fade until Minato stood in complete and total darkness, only light by the slimmest of lights. Then a moment later even that bit of light was gone.

"Naruto…my son. I failed you. I am so sorry…forgive me." Minato cried out before he too fell silent in the vast and final darkness of Naruto's soul.

[_Konoha_]

_As blood drains from infected wounds_

_And the torn souls lay bare _

_Existing to only hope for freedom _

_Yet only they themselves can give it…_

_Such is the mark of the damned._

A loud gasping sound was heard not too far from the tower as Ino collapsed to the ground clutching at her chest, a glowing brand on the back of her neck glowing with a bitter red light. Tears began to fall from her eyes, as pain arced through her body, incredible force suddenly being forced down onto her. Her vision was blurry already from the lack of chakra she had, mixed with this it would be only a matter of time until one of her pursuers would catch up to her. She had been avoiding a patrol of enemies within the borders of her own home village, as she'd noticed several of the upper class enemies were merely preforming abductions of important individual targets, she'd noticed they were concentrating mostly on civilians, but some were also targeting young shinobi.

She managed to get back to her feet, slowly stumbling forwards, and her body heaving with the simple effort. It wasn't much father to a bunker where she could finally rest. Another powerful spasm pulsed through her, and she fell to the ground, barely even moving.

She cursed herself for being this unforgivably weak. Even with the help she'd received, the demented technique that she had been placed under by the recently deceased missing ninja had left more troubles than she could count. She gasped again as another jolt of pain arced through her. Normally the seal was inactive, as he chakra fed a small counter seal that Naruto had developed for her. The seal on her spine was simple. It caused agony for those who were under its effects if they travelled far from its partner, or if the partner ceased living. The counter seal negated the effects, but required a constant charge. This helped to increase her reserves slowly, but also required her to maintain a frequent increase in her chakra control training.

The other problem was her current problem, dealing with the pain of separation from the other sealed target. With her using her chakra to enhance her movements, she'd completely forgotten about the seal in her rush to get to the bunkers, her eyes drooped as her body began to give in to the exhaustion, and fatigue caused by the seal on her back along with the pain she wondered if she was going to scream out soon, it was becoming more and more unbearable. Worse still she should still have been in range of Naruto, unless he'd moved a long way from her…it would mean that he had…

"Naruto…?" she murmured as she reached out, to pull herself further, her own arm looking more like a peach blur than anything.

"Well, well boys. I think we finally hit that jackpot." The sudden appearance of a blurry black blob was all Ino needed to know that she'd been caught.

"Yeah, I bet Ranmaru will be really happy with this one." Ino felt a sudden snap in her body, before collapsing into unconsciousness.

Throughout Konoha dozens of teams moved out carrying their precious cargo, the genin, and young shinobi children of the next generation slipped from the village's fingertips by the greedy foes they now faced, and not one of the defenders within the village was free or able to stop them.

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

Orochimaru hissed in rage.

He'd ended up locked in a match of wills between his sensei and himself, the power of the Shinigami against his own ambitions, and desires. It was truly a battle of wills and emotion. He looked to the piles of ash that had once been the first and second Hokage.

The Shinigami closed his eyes as he felt the life of his chosen warrior begin to slide into his true domain. If he'd not been bound in this summoning he could have assisted, though he wouldn't have done it directly, he wished he could have. He watched as a dying old man, and a long since dead soul fought each other for dominance, one for a semblance of life, and the other to save lives. In truth the Shinigami cared little for who won now. The plot had been ruined, and soon enough he'd have his fill of souls.

He frowned as he considered the waste of time he'd committed, and wondered what he could do now that Tsukoyomi's plot would unfold with most completely unaware.

'These toys, always proving their incompetence…' the death god whispered in his own mind, as he glanced to the imposing figure of the Ichibi, not too far off now.

[_Konoha-_ _Outer Wall_]

Gaara sneered and laughed as he looked to the imposing walls of Konoha, having left the ruined battlefield behind he used his powerful avatar to prepare a massive jutsu of nigh unstoppable power. His wind bullet would devastate all of Konoha. Who cared who died in the blast?

The moment was interrupted as a dragon of flames collided with the massive sand beasts back. Gaara turned to look down at the uchiha prodigy. A powerful opponent yes, but not one in his caliber. With his sand, it would be nothing. So he merely contined with the same technique, planning to crush him. "Wind Bullet!"

Sasuke however, smilled as the wind destroyed everything between them, and he as a Uchiha knew what he had to do next. "Uchiha Style Fire: Great Sphere of Flame!" the hulking sphere of flames clashed with the wind, and for a moment, Gaara laughed, thinking his technique would easily conquer Sasuke's. However, after a few moments the truth was obvious. The fire had grown matching the size of the demon and slammed into it's massive frame, Gaara barely had time to defend himself from the blast which completely bowled over the demon.

"_**Foolish boy!"**_ Gaara roared in anger, the heat leaving minor burns across his skin. _**"Did you forget I have your teammate? I will eat her if you do not surrender!"**_ the massive beast roared, even as Gaara knew that one way or another, she'd be feeling his wrath.

Sasuke merely stood tall balancing on a wire mesh web just like he had before. "What's wrong? Scared of me? Eh?" Sasuke smirked as the wave of sand he'd predicted came at him, he watched with calm dispassion. "I think you need to learn…when you deal with an Uchiha…" then he disappeared into the sand, and Gaara roared clapping his hands together shattering dozens of trees like toothpicks. The powerful genin wanted to laugh, but his sand rose to defend him, as a gout of flame slammed into the walking nightmare. Gaara glared as he looked up to see the dark haired boy, and gaped at him a moment later. A pair of flames ignited beneath his feet. Sasuke Uchiha, was flying.

'_What is with these Konoha ninja? Two of them already showed the power of flight…no matter_.' Gaara considered for a moment before smiling insanely. _**"No more games!**_" then with a single hand sign, Gaara slumped forwards.

"_**Uwwwahhh? I am Free! Free! Finally! Now I will bury the world, under an unending wave of sand! Ehihihihi!" **_the Ichibi laughed as sand began to explode from the ground around them, rising up towards the dark haired avenger.

"Oh for the love of…" then the dozens of sand tendrils slammed into his position much faster than when Gaara alone had controlled them.

[_Unknown Location_]

_Thump…_

_Drip…_

_Thump…_

_Drip…_

_**Two…**_

Within a cavern, leading deep within the ground, rested a single shrine, its size was modest, and it had little to make it seem unique, but this day something amazing had begun to happen. A pulsing blue light continuously washed the cavern in light. A couple of the occupants seemed surprised by the turn of events, as they looked towards the heart of the shrine, where light originated. Another pulse passed through them, and the taller of the two looked to the other, the details of their appearances hidden by the overwhelming light.

"Kami, do you think that the keeper knows what this means?" the taller masculine voice asked his companion.

"I don't know, he is always meditating when he isn't teaching you or me something new, so most likely. I mean he's always been here, right?" the soft voice of a female whispered as the light pulsed once again, growing brighter and brighter.

"Cross-sama would tell us if it was something he thought we should know, right?"

"I don't know! He's your relative, isn't he?"

"Mah…sort of? I mean he's been here for so long, I can only guess at our relationship."

"Baka…and you steal sensei's mannerisms. Ka…still…I can't believe the light is this bright, even the flash earlier hadn't been half as bright. We can easily see it from here, I wonder how Cross-sempai is handling it in the forbidden chamber…"

"He's probably asleep again."

Deep within the shrine, a massive door of with thousands of holes in it, each so small that they confounded all forms of vision looking in, but somehow the light seemed to escape through it with ease. Within, a tall, thin figure stood next to a plain table with a single mask upon it. All other details were lost in the cascade of bright light.

"So, the successor is truly on this plain. Though I wonder if this light is to herald his coming…or his departure?" a mature male voice said into the light, musing aloud as the light began to die down again, the pulses growing longer, and the light fading slowly. It could be seen now that the light came from some kind of massive crystal formation. The figure calmly stepped over and affixed his mask, before taking a seat in the center of the room, and waiting.

"Only time will tell."

[_Konoha Forest_]

"Damn it, what is Naruto doing?" Sasuke cursed as he fired gouts of flame at one of the walls of sand that chased him through the sky. He was running low, and had already taken a soldier pill. This was ridiculous. He'd already taken care of a team of Kumo nin, and that sand nin. This was unforgivable. "Naruto! Hurry up!" Sasuke shouted, only to be caught off guard as the sand backed off, as if in response.

"_**Bwahaha! Hihihihi! You know so little brat? Naruto is the blond brat, yeah? You want him so bad? Well ya can't! I killed him!" **_the massive beast laughed, uproariously at its opponent's expression.

"Killed him? You? Impossible." It was like a challenge to the massive beast, so it reached out and pulled the ruined remains of the blond up, and sneered as it moved the sand from the boy's ruined form, barely any skin remained, organs had burst from the damage, all that remained intact was his bone structure, for the most part.

"_**See? See! Your hero is dead! A god of lightning indeed! Hihihihi! More like a dobe of lightning! Kakakaka!"**_ the massive canine spirit laughed before slapping the corpse from the sand of its own tail sending it in ruins to the ground. Sasuke was in shock. Naruto…he was dead. Sasuke never got a real chance to measure himself against the blond. His first friend. This wasn't real, it couldn't be...

"_**Now the pink haired thing…I am having a lot of fun keeping her alive, I can feel through the sand. She screams for you. She screams for him. She begs for help! Hihihihi!"**_ it laughed again, before a sudden burst of killing intent washed over it, and a massive blast of fire took it off guard.

"You! You! I will fucking kill you!" Sasuke swore as assault after assault slammed into the massive beast. Fire burned around it, and all it did was defend itself, knowing if it's host was hit, its time would come to a halt. Sasuke could only see red. This monster! He would kill it! He would burn it to ashes! He would…

With a resounding crack, Sasuke was knocked from the air, sand swirling around him as it drove his hard into the ground. His focus on the massive beast leaving him open to a deadly assault. Sasuke groaned as the sand curled around him. Lifting him before the massive beast.

"_**I do love my host's ruthless nature, and his techniques more so! So now…you die! Hihihi! Sand Coffin complete! Now…" **_it trailed off as Sasuke began to scream in agony, the massive beast slowly closing its hand. _**"Desert Bur-"**_ the beast began, but paused leaving Sasuke a moment from impending death, as a pulse of energy filled the area.

**Thump…**

The ground shook mercilessly.

**Drip…**

Blood fell from the Sandaime's lip colliding with ground, within the barrier it was like shattering glass.

**Thump…**

Shinobi, invader and defender a like paused in their fighting, ever instinct telling the something was horribly, horribly wrong.

**Drip…**

The tears, and screams of a terrified girl call out to the world, her being, and her soul violated in ways few could imagine.

_**One…**_

Everything, for one moment seemed to become silent, as thousands of people looked on, as a light seemed to wash of them, as if a small star had landed just beyond the gates of Konoha. Even the Shinigami took note of the impossibly bright light, though the barrier around them was able to block most of it, and with the life or death struggle happening before it, the Shinigami was not surprised the two combatants didn't notice it. Slowly the light enveloped them, and continued until suddenly, just as suddenly as it came, it dimmed to a shadowy misty glow on the horizon. Many of the shinobi moved to strike out once more, but paused again a moment later as the earth rumbled unnaturally.

Then it came, a shockwave of sound. An inhuman roar that would have made the Kyuubi's seem small ripped through the air. The sound carried such force that it began tearing the earth away from just beyond the walls of Konoha, the sound was terrible and awe inspiring, wondrous and terrible as greenhorns and veterans alike looked to west in total shock. The invaders capitalized, and a few more defenders fell before the fighting began in Ernest again, even as the roar began to die out. Sasuke's blinked, his eyes burned with tears from searing light, as well as the pain he'd endured only moments before, but as his eyes slowly shifted into focus, he could make out a single figure before him.

In his exhaustion, pain, and perhaps delirium he whispered a single name, knowing the end was only a moment away.

"Naruto?"


	25. CE Invasion: Konoha's Lightning God

_Apathy (Sloth), Rage (Wrath), Loathing (Envy), Arrogance (Pride), Desire (Lust), Power (Gluttony), and Selfishness (Greed). Those are the forces that empowered a demon. Those were the powers that called, and fed the beasts of the darkness._

_Persistence (Diligence), Mercy (Patience), Compassion (Kindness), Modesty (Humility), Wisdom (Chastity), Justice (Temperance), and Sacrifice (Charity). Those are the forces that empower the servants of light. Those were the energies that bind them to the righteous._

_Long before the divine were as they are now, these fourteen forces moved as if alive on their own. Each side pooled their energy into one specific place, and in time something changed. The darkness gave birth to a corrupt beast of everlasting evil, and hate. The light gave way to wisdom, kindness and safety. In a way the light became the force that many call chakra. Though this was truly first expressed in a single figure, and the world moved to follow his path, and as men they turned into something far from its original purpose._

_There are seven more forces however. Choice, Fate, Life, Death, Love, Hate, and Change. These seven forces are called the paths of men. Few ever manage to embark on a journey for more than one of them. It was said that the Sage of Six Paths, was truly a remarkable human being, one able to walk down six of the mythical paths of men. To this day none have done as he had, and despite that many would try, it is the way of things, that people of such ability never seek it themselves. It finds them and the world heedlessly takes notice._

_-_Tablet of the First Shinobi Age

Author Unknown

The Ichibi glowered at the floating figure before it. Such was its nature. Rage. It was impossible, but yet there it was. Flying, glowing with energy. Mocking him. _**"You brat! How is it you're not squished? Eh?"**_

Naruto glanced back to Sasuke, and merely waved his hand towards the encased Uchiha, and the sand fell away, dropping the hundreds of feet to the ground, but Sasuke remained suspended. Naruto's eyes were hidden behind a bright blue glow, as he floated to the raven haired ninja's side. "_Rest. Sasuke_." His voice was soft and yet commanding. Sasuke relaxed as he was lightly set down on a nearby branch. The Ichibi growled in fury before it threw itself at the blond planning to crush him like a fly.

"_**Die Gaki!"**_

"_Stop."_ Naruto spoke and with just a simple word, the massive beast was suspended in midair, its expression one of confusion and terror. Naruto slowly rose up, bolts of electricity leaping from his skin, and he merely smiled. "_You are like a lost child. Shukaku. Go rest now, in time that may change."_ Before the beast could even roar out defiance, Gaara jolted awake, and gasped in a heavy breath. The air was completely filled with Naruto's presence, it was literally suffocating to feel, but there was no rage in it. No hatred, no loathing, or arrogance. All Gaara could feel was sadness, and a bit of pity.

"_**You! You! What did you do to Mother!" **_Gaara roared as the massive body of sand began to shift, no longer bound to use it in the form it was in Gaara prepared to crush the blond boy like an ant.

"_Poor boy, I can feel it. We were once…the same. I too felt the burning pain of loneliness…"_

"_**Shut up! Shut up! I am not lonely! I am all I will ever need! Power! I will kill you Uzumaki! I will prove my existence!"**_ Gaara screamed as the entire body of the Ichibi moved, and collided with Naruto. There was no blood this time, too much sand to see even a drop of it.

"_But it doesn't have to be this way."_ Naruto continued, having reappeared behind the red haired demon host, with incredible ease. The glow of his eyes only barely hidden by his closed lids, and he smiled. _"Let me help you…"_ Gaara growled in rage, as a sick smile crossed his lips.

"_**No! No! Uzumaki. You will surrender now! Or I will show you despair! True Despair! I will kill your friends, I will murder those you love, as easily as I have taken this pink one!" **_he screamed as he revealed from within his sand, the trembling form of Sakura, she was torn up by the grinding sands, her body and her clothes the worse for wear. Naruto looked truly sad when he saw this, his eyes opened to look at the insane red head's eyes. He saw fear, pain, and a collision of a million emotions all washing together. Naruto couldn't let this continue.

"_Why?"_ Gaara paused as Naruto looked down at the horrible wounds, on his teammate and his sorrow was almost palpable. _"Why are you so determined to share your pain, rather than lose it?_" Naruto questioned calmly as he moved his hand and Sakura was whipped from the sand ninja's grasp, and into Sasuke's arms. Gaara glowered and the sand curled back around him, taking the form of his first monstrous appearance, a much reduced version of his most previous form, but this time with literal tons of free sand to move as he wished. _"I see. I have to show you now…what it feels like to be free. Gaara!" _The sand encased red head growled, as he formed a massive lance of sand in the air above them. _"I will show you…what it means…to have a friend. One that will never…ever…stop trying to help you." _He closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them and smiling.

"_**Die Uzumaki! Shukaku Spear!"**_ the lance created a horrible bellowing sound as it careened towards Naruto, who remained passive as he watched the lance come for him. He slowly raised a single hand to his lips, and bit down.

"_Blood Seal: Dispel."_ In an instant he watched as the chakra flooded from the massive lance, and the sand poured to the ground, returning to the dirt it had been before the massive sand monster used its chakra to convert it to sand. Gaara look terrified as his chakra cloak, in the form of his Ichibi Armor returned to its normal gourd shape, his breath heavy in his lungs as he looked to Naruto.

"I-Impossible…ju-just what are you?" Gaara cried out as he collided with the tree beneath him, his chakra too low to sustain using his sand to hold him up.

"_I am Uzumaki Naruto. Genin of Konoha. Pariah of Konoha…and yet I am Naruto Uzumaki…and I want to be your friend Gaara…let me pull you from this darkness."_ Gaara seemed too tired to argue, and each time he'd said it, it felt more and more sincere. Could he really…want to be his friend? Gaara let out a small smile, and then leaned back his body too exhausted.

"Just kill me Uzumaki. You've proven your existence is the stronger…I do…not deserve to exist." Gaara whispered, as a tear rolled from his eye, follow by another and another. As if a dam had broken, years of pain and suffering were suddenly pouring from the red head's eyes. Naruto merely smiled and waited, the glowing aura around him never ceasing to encompass them. "For the things I have done…I do not deserve forgiveness!" He cried, not as a ninja, not as a Jinchuriki, but as a boy who'd had his entire life turned into a form of torture. Naruto smiled and placed a hand on the boy's head.

"_We can figure that out later. For now…Binding Seal: Sleep."_ Without fight or fuss, Gaara's eye lids closed and he fell into a deep sleep. _"Sasuke…I need you to take him back to the village too. I know you can handle it…there is one more foe out here I must face._" Then he was gone in a blur of movement, leaving an exhausted and wounded Sasuke to grumble in annoyance at the blond, and seethe at all the power the boy seemed to have. He wouldn't stand for this; he must know how he learned all of this.

Naruto for his part reappeared not too far off.

"Ah, Naruto-kun. I didn't think you'd notice me down here. I must say, your battle was most enjoyable." Naruto only frowned as he looked over the silver haired boy before him, even as the traitor adjusted his glasses. "I see you noticed that jutsu I was using then?"

"_Truly, you are a despicable soul. Kabuto. Much like a blotch of darkness against the world."_

"Hmm. Such kind words, though I have to wonder…can you feel _it_ as well? The force of the Shinigami at work? I can. Deep, deep in my soul, I can feel it. Lord Orochimaru is killing your Hokage right now." Kabuto said as casually as one would discuss the weather. "It's pathetic, that with all of this power, you are still a weak child when it comes to save those precious to you."

"_The…Hokage?"_ Then the feelings hit him, the pain, the sorrow, and the anger, oh how the anger began to consume him. _"Orochimaru is hurting the old man! You! Traitor…Gah!'_ suddenly the bright glow was consumed with red light, and Kabuto leaped away, as the area was torn up, as if suddenly unleashed in a torrent from the very core of his being, the red and blue chakras began to mix. The light and the darkness within Naruto combined and in a scream of rage he was gone. Kabuto for one couldn't be happier as he moved on to escape the area completely, unwilling to have faced the boy as he had been.

Deep within Naruto, the darkness receded. Minato gave a loud gasp as if all the air had been squeeze from his lungs only a moment before. Then from beyond the cage a wave of chakra filled the chamber banishing the Hokage's presence for a moment as the Kyuubi's eye snapped open in the darkness. _**"Muuu! Brat! Duuu! Destroy! Urrr! Enemies!"**_ the nearly mindless shouts of the Kyuubi roared as immense amounts of its chakra fueled the blond now, mixing with whatever force he'd been using before. Slowly, another presence within the boy's mind receded, pulling away with a calm whispered sigh '_He is not yet ready…'_

_**Naruto: Shinigami's Folly**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

_Thunder…_

_Lightning…_

_Darkness…_

The world seemed to grow darker than the blackest black for an instant, as the world began to scream out in agony, as if given a true voice itself. The buildings shifted and moved, the land cracked, and the winds howled in rage and pain. Then for a single moment, everything seemed to wash away, sound, feeling, sight. The world blurred together, senses, objects, everything seemed to become one for a moment, everyone, everything began collapsing.

Shinobi throughout the village collapsed clutching at their heads, covering their eyes, or merely feel into a complete comatose state unable to handle the overload to their senses, to their very beings as even the mighty Hokage, and his diabolical student felt their being impinged upon. The Shinigami himself shifted his perceptions, this power…it was unnatural, or more to say it was impossible. He as a being of divine origin could not feel the force of such a minor life form's attack, no mortal should be able to generate such a force, not even the chosen of the divine could do so. In his long existence only one or two beings had ever possessed such power, and both were known to him.

The forces of creation were all meeting in one burning red point, the power gathered there was more akin to a golden orb of energy than a single being.

Then in a sudden flash of light a massive wing of burning red, and bright colorless light unfurled from the orb, soon to be joined by five similar wings. In the center a single form of a young blond boy, eyes redder than blood, claws sharper than knives, and thrumming with power comparable to a divine being. A single sigil, a rune of powerful ancient sealing art older than the shinobi era itself, shinned from his forehead, a light of incredible power.

"_**Seraphim."**_ He murmured before colliding with the dark barrier that surrounded the aged Hokage and his apprentice. Only those within the powerful defensive barrier seemed to be unaffected by the blonde's power. Orochimaru sneered as he saw the boy.

"How child-like, nothing can take this barrier down from without, Sarutobi-sensei…another foolish brat to die for nothing. Just like you." Sarutobi coughed in pain, as he felt the burning of his own body breaking down, beginning to weaken his hold. He wouldn't be able to take his entire student into the seal that much was for certain. He glanced to Naruto, and smiled, resigned to his fate.

"I-I suppose this is it, all I can do…" then he growled as more blood fell from his lips. "…Seal!" The Shinigami in its massive awareness of the events was both shocked to see its chosen, and yet jarred into motion by the event of his summoner as well. So he pulled his blade up and sliced down, tearing the arms of Orochimaru's soul from him.

"_**No! Old Man! Gah…."**_ Naruto called as he could see. He could see the older man's life begin to be pulled towards the effigy that he didn't recognize. The burning of the deadly barrier against his skin seemed to mean nothing. He couldn't lose him now…he…just couldn't. _**"I made a promise…to never…let my precious people come to harm…to someone I love...I-I…I won't fail here!"**_

Then with a scream he was thrown away from the massive barrier, his six wings fluttering with rage, as the massive electric and demonic power gathered in them slammed together in one point in front of the young ninja. _**"Shine brighter…and brighter…SHINE BRIGHTER!"**_ He screamed, and it would be then that he began to use _that_ power; the power had given him the name he was famed for. The name that would be feared by many after this day. The technique would be known as Lightning God of Konoha's Signature Technique…

"_**Shinsei **__Sukai Sakeme__**!"**_(True Sky Reaver) he shouted, and everything seemed to pause for a moment, as if the world itself couldn't believe that such a force was going to be unleashed once again.

The force of destruction, several magnitudes stronger than the same power he'd once used in the wave country, it was truly something that match his name. The sky began to crack and scream at the force, the world shook more violently than it had all that day. It was only now that many of the fighters began to recover, if it was only to flee the area around the flying teen. The bolt that arced from the central mass each shattered buildings. Then as sudden as a bolt of true lightning, the mass moved slamming into the barrier. Each of the four guards within fell to a knee as the energy was drained from them to hold the barrier, to no avail.

The powerful, demonic electrical energy cracked the barrier within seconds, and a moment later it collapsed, letting the energy slam into the form of the Shinigami himself, normally untouchable to such meager mortal affairs, the energy tore him away, long before he'd taken his price from the old man. Even before he'd take the soul arms of Orochimaru for himself. The Shinigami screamed with rage, as the energy continued to push on tearing across western Konoha, and onwards into the distance, colliding angrily with a far off mountain top. The explosive light from the attack caught many throughout the elemental nation's attention, as the peak of a massive mountain crumbled to ashes and rubble.

"W-What was…th-that light?" Orochimaru hissed as his arms fell dead at his side, "Sound Four! Kill the old…" in that instant, Naruto closed the distance, and was between Orochimaru and Sarutobi, crouched down, with a kunai in hand. His amazing energy gone, his body no longer empowered, but his crystal blue eyes met with Orochimaru's. In that instant, Orochimaru's blood ran cold, that position, those eyes. He hissed in rage before taking a step back. More and more Konoha shinobi began to show up now, each one even more emblazoned by Naruto's actions.

"Retreat! Retreat!" the four recovered themselves quickly, and within instants the five sound ninjas escaped from the leaf ninja's finger tips. Naruto smiled as he stood, and looked back to the older man, who was still alive, though surprised.

"Old…man…" Naruto said with a bright smile, before collapsing into his arms blood slipping from his lips.

"Medic!" the nearby ANBU shouted, calling for assistance for both the blond and their Kage. Those with the ability to sense such things, would have seen, if they were looking, two arms of pure chakra slowly disappearing into the now unconscious blond, as he shivered in the aged Kage's arms, the old man smiled.

"Naruto-kun…thank you."

Nearby, a pair, one tall and dark and the other short and greying looked to one another. "It seems our fears have been realized, Raikage-san."

"Hmm. So the plan is in motion then? Four years from today."

"Quite. In four years…we will crush the Hidden Leaf, and their Lightning God…before we are all doomed to serve at their heel." Then the two Kages shook hands, and the forces of Kumo and Iwa became aligned in one of the most powerful, and dangerous alliances ever to be seen in the elemental nations.

Far off from the plots, far off from the recovering nation, the Shinigami smoldered in the ruined mountaintop. He would figure out what was going on. There was only one force that could allow such a thing to happen to a being such as him. As he disappeared back to the divine realms, he cursed the woman he'd have to meet. 'Fate! I will not suffer your insults!'


	26. Message from the Author

**_Naruto: Shinigami's Folly_**

Author's Note (Major Announcement)

So, after a read through of the current story, I have found innumerable errors, and problems that I feel so greatly detract from the story that it is almost painful to know that I allowed you all to have to sit through it all. I wouldn't have. For that I thank you. For that reason I make this announcement. I am ending Shinigami's Folly for a temporary hiatus, and putting up a poll about opinions of what to do with the story as it is, and as it will be.

I am going to be re-writing the entire story from the ground up, and with the extra time I have now, I plan to release every chapter I currently have in a edited, reformated, and superior quality to its current form, which is at sometimes great, but others overly disjointed. I am also planning to extend each chapter. I am aiming for a 4,000 word minimum per chapter, but may even go so far as a 5,000 or 6,000 word minimum. I plan to extend the Wave arc a bit, and remove some of my more suprifilous parts and file them with more important story information and tales.

It is also at this time that I will be looking for a Beta, and if any of you are interested please PM me, I would appreciate it. If not please see the new Poll and place a vote there. This story will continue past this current point, and I hope you all will be there to enjoy it with me. See you all soon.

Planned Date of Grand Reopening: 2/20/12 or earlier

EDIT: I have gained the service of a Beta. Thank you very much!


	27. Author's Note and Petition

Sorry for the long wait, with still no update but this must be addressed. I will be posting up a 'filler' chapter soon, that will connect to the first new chapter which will be released with the update of every chapter I have made so far. I am sad to say I do not think I will be making my by chapter word count, but I have been cleaning up dead plot lines and ambiguity. So, without further ado please read this petition to the mods of this great site and if you agree add your name to the list.

Petition:

I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

forum. fanfiction topic/111772/63683250/1/#63698621

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

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Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

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Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

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Exiled crow

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Final Black Getsuga

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Mystic 6 tailed Naruto

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Darth Void Sage of the Force

Shiso no Kitsune

The Sinful

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swords of twilight

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White Whiskey

Ying the Nine Tail Fox

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The wolf god Fenri

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Her Dark Poet

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Shen an Calhar

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IsealShisarakage  
>Uzunaru999<br>Dark-Knight  
>fearme80<br>Devilsummoner666  
>slicerness<br>Toa Naruto  
>Soleneus<br>kagedoragon  
>dansama92<br>KamenRiderNexus  
>Captive Crimson<br>KyuubiiLover27  
>MozillaEverer<br>4rm36uy  
>ebm6969<br>Repiece  
>phantomshadowdragon<br>Colonel Eagle  
>Timothy1988<br>ShadowZenith  
>awsm125<br>The Purple Critic  
>Darkepyon<br>Zombyra  
>brickster409<br>ChaosSonic1  
>Leaf Ranger<br>SoulEmbrace2010  
>Oni Shin<br>Silverknight17  
>Specter637<br>HunterBerserkerWolf  
>shadow-red0<br>The Roaming Shadow  
>bucketbot<br>AvalonNakamura  
>Avacii<br>Maxwell Gray  
>Silvdra-zero<br>Arashi walker  
>Lord of Daemons<br>Lord Anime  
>CloudRed1988<br>forestscout  
>The Lost Mana<br>Red Warrior of Light  
>TUAOA MORRISTOFOX<br>Mr. Alaska  
>Swagnilla-Ice-1985<br>MugetsuIchigo  
>bloodlust002<br>Nerverean  
>Kage Biju<br>JK10  
>OBSERVER01<br>MistressWinowyll  
>Count Kulalu<br>ronin504  
>ted009<br>Ralmidaz  
>lederra<br>Lost my shoe in Sheol  
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>BituMAN<br>shadowcub  
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>Bahamutzero94<br>Soul Painted Black  
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>Define Incompetent<br>Caw-Raven  
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>Leaf Ranger<p>

SaiyanShinobi

Killercloud


	28. The End or New Beginning?

The End.

I am sad to say this is the last update planned for A Shinigami's Folly. It has been a good run, but several problems with the plot as is have come up. Several would have been so irritating to unravel that I would have had to go all the way back and rewrite it again. For the third time. So, I have a new plan. I am doing a complete reboot. It will be uploaded by the time this is online as well. It is called A Shinigami's Lament. It follows a similar plot but with several differences. Many of them were key to the original plot but are different now, and mentioned several times by reviewers. I also think I have put more effort into keeping everything balanced, and the quality of writing is higher.

I hope that you will join me for the new story of Naruto's life, and the choice made by one God that changes the world in ways that no one not even Fate itself could predict. So please check my profile for the new story. I will also note, that I have instituted a minimum length on the new stories chapters of 5000 words, and will be updating quickly. I hope to have your continued support. Thank you.

Killercloud


End file.
